Loving the Enemy
by DuckShadow12517
Summary: Cato Snow is the son of President Snow, the most powerful man in Panem. He receives Primrose, sister of Katniss Everdeen, who was the victor of the previous Hunger Games, as his new personal servant. Could she ever feel anything other than hatred for him? Will she escape or will her feelings get in the way?
1. Meeting

**Alright, so please R&R and tell me what you think. Another CatoxPrim! This one will be muuuch more gradual though. **

**Summary: **Cato Snow is the son of President Snow, the most powerful man in Panem. He receives Primrose, sister of Katniss Everdeen, and victor of the previous Hunger Games, as his new personal servant. Can she figure out an escape or will she and Cato fall in love?

**Rating: **T for violence. Nothing else, no swearing or anything.

**Pairing: **CatoxPrim, but it's very gradual and Prim will be very OOC, but you'll see what causes this. Being locked up in a prison really dampens the mood. Cato WILL stay in character so don't worry.

**R&R! =) **

"In here." The rough hands grabbing my arms let go, causing me to stumble a bit. I whirled around to give a biting remark to the 'security' men who had escorted me.

"He'll be here soon. Just make yourself comfortable." One cut me off with a curt nod. "Don't try to escape. Escape is punishable by death."

"Good." I snarled, springing forward to dive between the two. A hand easily slammed me aside, flying back into a wall. I lay where I had landed, breathing heavily to try and ease the pain. I heard the door close and a click sounded. Of course, they had locked me in.

I stood slowly, assessing my situation. I was in some sort of bedroom. The bed was massive, a king size I'd guess. It was on a raised platform. The carpet is super soft plush sort of fabric. There was an L shaped couch, dark brown fabric. A large T.V was there. It was like a super suite on steroids. I grimaced as a wave of pain washed over my body. How long before they returned? I decided the best thing to do was to take a nap in the wonderful large bed before they killed me and think of just how I got in this situation.

~0o0~

3 hours earlier-

I gave the bars another kicked and slumped lower in the cell. The retreating footsteps of the guard only added to my anger.

"Prim." A voice to my left gave an irritated warning. I whirled around to face my mother.

"What is possibly so important MO-ther." I hissed. I didn't rise from the floor, seeing no point. After six months here, I had long ago given up.

Six months ago, my sister won the Hunger Games. What everyone doesn't know, is what happens to tributes who are, ahem, easy on the eyes. Naturally, my sister's stubborn nature took over and she refused to become like the others. Like Finnick or Johanna.

The Capitol didn't like that at all, nope. So they took my mother and me and locked us up here, in Prison 6, a prison meant to keep people and prevent any escape. Katniss must open or else they'll kill us. After six months in this terrible place, I wish she would refuse.

She was allowed to visit us once a month for an hour. She would kiss us both on the forehead and keep us up to date on District 12. She visited us a couple weeks ago I believe. It was hard to remember the days. The only light we got was from a flickering bulb in each cell.

There were about a dozen cells down here at the moment. Only four were filled. I was in one, it was a small cell, eight by ten with a cold cement floor. The door was a thick wooden door that went about waist height. The rest was metal bars, making the view very nice. More cells. The other two people I gathered were also meant to keep people in line. I could hear sobs from the cell closest to the door and I could usually make out a faint outline of a figure from a cell diagonal from mine.

My mom had a cell next to mine. There was a small metal bar window where we could speak to talk to each other. I didn't talk much anymore, after a couple months you sort of run out of things to talk about. Inside the cell was a small bed with blankets (at least they were soft) and a small corner closed off with a bathroom. There was also a small desk with a stool.

I sighed loudly and curled up on the floor, under the bed. It was cold but once I moved the blankets under it, it was quite cozy. I no longer slept on the bed. I closed my eyes and let sleep wash over me. What seemed like seconds later, I heard the loud clanking and horrible screech that symbolized the opening of a cell door. More particularly, my cell door. I blinked half-asleep as footsteps drew close. I heard a hushed whisper.

"Under the bed."

"Try not to injure her, she's special."

Rough hands suddenly grabbed me and yanked me out from under the bed. I was dangling by my leg, facing two very tall and very muscular men. The one holding me had a five o'clock shadow and a deep scar running from his collarbone to his forehead. The other one was tomato red face and a squashed nose. They both had narrowed eyes.

I narrowed my own. "Charmed to meet you two. And I must say, my, are you ugly."

The tomato sneered. "Feisty."

Scar chuckled, "Master is going to be very busy with this one."

They both smirked. I punched Scarface in the well, face as hard as I could. He let out a small grunt and that was it. My fist throbbed. Man I hated tough guys. Scar slung me over his shoulder like a sack of bricks and began to head out. I suddenly realized something. They were taking me away. Away from my cell that, however dreadful, had become my home. Away from my mother, who was the only familiar face I knew. I lost it.

I let out a piercing shriek, so shrill the men flinched. I began to beat the back of the man carrying me. "LET ME GO! YOU CAN'T DO THIS! HELP, HELP!" I knew shouting was useless but I fought anyway. It occurred to me that Katniss may have refused and now I was facing the consequences. I was going to get my wish. I was going to die.

At that thought, I slumped down, the fight draining out of me. I lie down, warm tears leaking from my eyes. I was furious, how dare I let my emotions get the best of me. I was used to closing them off, never let them show and they can't use anything against you. I guess it didn't matter anymore; they were going to kill me. I lay limp and silently cried, I would never see my mother again, and she probably would be next.

I wondered if it would be quick or agonizingly slow. Would they make Katniss watch? Would she cry? Would she continue to be defiant? I hoped so.

They led me into a train. I was strapped down in a chair. I remained mute, not wanting everyone's last memory of me to be a blubbering mess. I gave a dry chuckle. Yeah, that was the old Prim. The deep hatred I felt for the Capitol and everyone in it only grew as we drove through the heart. The frivolous people who could only think of themselves. They wanted to buy people. How gross was that? The wave of pity I felt for my sister grew as I mustered all the hatred I could towards the blurry people racing by.

The train slowed and came to a purring halt. I was unchained and slung back over Scarface's shoulder. I closed my eyes, trying to figure out something. I realized the best option. Escape. If I escaped, Katniss would remain defiant, knowing they couldn't hurt me. And I would be free. I tried to picture Katniss now or anyone familiar. Peeta, the District 12 tribute who went with my sister. He had joined the Careers but killed himself so Katniss could win. The only boy she's ever loved.

I opened my eyes when I heard a door unlock. I was placed on the ground and ushered up stairs and more stairs. I paid no heed to them though, nothing would prolong my ultimate death. The two guards kept my arms pinned firmly to my side. No amount of struggling could free them. Finally, they stopped at a particularly ornate door and opened it up, shoving me inside.

And that is how I got there.

I did take a nap. A very short ten minute one. I awoke feeling slightly better and I began to form a plan.

I didn't know who 'he' was, but 'he' sounded bad. Real bad. I decided I would give something Katniss to fight for. I wouldn't be going down without a fight. I searched frantically around the room until I found what I was looking for.

A T.V remote. Not just any remote, a very large and fancy one. It was about a foot long very heavy. I tightened my grip on it and crept towards the door. I perched atop a chair I moved beside the door. I raised the remote over my head and waited. I didn't have to wait long.

The click of the lock sliding made me tense even more, the anticipation growing. I waited for my executioner to arrive. At the last moment, I realized there might be more than one but that didn't matter.

The door slid open and a figure stepped inside. I brought my makeshift weapon down. Hard. The figure half-turned and for a second I giggled, I must look half-crazed to whoever that was. I hadn't had a proper shower in six months and I gave up trying to comb my hair. My clothes were changed once a week and they were very rumpled. I'm sure the half yell that came from my mouth only added to the craziness.

"What the-" the figure cursed, raising his hand up to deflect the blow. I hit the arm hard, hearing a loud curse as plastic struck flesh. I grinned and dove forward, ducking around the bent man. He stuck a foot out, much to my surprise. I tripped, sprawling forward across the floor, a low moan of pain escaping my lips as my bruises were coming back.

I turned to face whoever my killer was going to be. Much to my surprise, he was a teenager, probably a couple years older than me. He had gorgeous blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, which were narrowed in anger. His perfectly shaped lips lifted into a scowl.

"So you're Prim?" he said, slowly, like speaking to a wounded animal. Actually, that pretty much summed me up right now.

"You're the one who's going to kill me?" I gaped. "You're pretty wimpy looking."

He gave a humorless smile. "You're quite lucky they warned me girl." The way he said it was quite insulting. He held up the arm I had struck with the remote. It was covered by what looked like a piece of plastic. In fact, both arms had it. "Body armor."

He frowned, "and I'm not here to kill you. Though if you try something like that again I may be forced to."

"Lucky me." Without another word I stood up and brushed by him. "Please do." I muttered. I got back on the king sized bed and settled in. "When you have something interesting to say, please wake me."

I was suddenly yanked forward, the grip on my arm like steel. I was tossed unceremoniously on the floor.

"That's mine." A foot pressed into my back. "You really could use some manners. Girl." He sneered.

I tried to roll away. The crushing foot increased in weight. I growled.

The boy leaned close. "I don't think you know who I am. I am Cato Snow. You are mine now."

**Ok, good first chapter, bad first chapter? Please R&R to tell me. I hope you like it and I promise it will get better. **


	2. Tattoo

**Ok, thanks for the feedback guys! I love you all. *virtual hug* (non creepy of course). And I thank you for reading. I might need to change my summary soon and possibly the title. So, if anything changes be on the lookout! R&R! **

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The boot pressing into my back eased off slightly as I pushed up. I coughed, trying to cover up the pain from being thrown into a wall. The heavy soles of the boot didn't help.

"Get off you idiot." I snapped. Cato didn't say a word. He eased his foot off and took a few steps back. I leapt up, turning quickly to finally get a proper look at him.

He was tall, almost hulking. He was around 6" 4'. He had blonde hair that swept across his forehead. His skin was a golden tan and covered in muscle. While his defined jawbone and muscular arms were noteworthy, what stood out most were his eyes. I thought they were a bright blue but that was only in the sunlight. They were a grayish blue actually. A stormy gray. I clenched my fists, why did he have to be so handsome? It was true; he was one of the most handsome, ok, the most handsome boy I had ever seen. And he was a total jerk.

His eyes were dark as he also looked me over. "Small." He muttered. I felt a flare of indignation. I wasn't that small. I had grown in the past few years. My sister won the Hunger Games when she was 18 and I was 14. My birthday was in a month. To her, I was always her little duck.

"Now look-" I began but he continued to mutter.

"Weakened. Scrawny. Disobedient." I crossed my arms at him and turned away.

"Now that the introductions are made-" I started again.

"I don't think you understand fully, girl." Cato snapped. "You're mine now."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I growled irritably.

"You are my personal servant. Or slave. Anyway you want to consider it. You will attend to me. Escape is punishable by death. Disobedience will also be punished." He informed me in a clipped tone. "You can start by making my bed." With that, he turned away and started to leave. "I'll be back soon, so don't even think about trying anything."

"You're the weakling." I called after him. He didn't give any sign of acknowledgement. I sighed. There was no way I was making his bed. He could do that himself. I went over to his couch and plopped down, fatigue weighing heavy. I hadn't had much sleep the past couple months and a comfortable place to sleep was something I had been lacking. I settled in and soon fell asleep.

I awoke to the feeling of falling. I opened my eyes to discover that I had indeed been falling, right off the couch. A VERY ticked off looking Cato was holding it slant ways.

"Oh good you're up." I grumbled. "I would love for a nice croissant and a cup of coffee."

I could see from the twitch of his eyebrow the extent of his anger. I swallowed down further comments.

"My bed."

"How about the couch? It's quite comfortable."

"Fix. It. Now." His voice was eerily calm.

I stood up slowly, feeling like I just lost a battle. I made the bed carefully, folding and refolding to perfection. I turned and beamed sarcastically at the boy. He smirked.

"Come with me. I have something important that must be done." He grabbed my wrist, holding it painfully tight. He led the way out the door, not loosening his grip even slightly. He tugged me down the hall and around a set of doors. I blinked at the bright sunlight. Six months of not seeing it really messes with your sight. I was partially dazed when they brought me here.

I shielded my eyes with my free hand. Cato glanced down at me. He smirked, "Not long now." He tugged me forward, seeming to enjoy my wince from his tight grip.

"You can let go, I'm not going to run anywhere."

"Why take a chance?"

"You're concern is suffocating."

We paused outside a small door, well small in comparison to the rest of the doors. He opened it without a second thought. I was yanked inside. I was slightly confused about the setup.

It was a small room, just a bit bigger than my cell. There were three long chairs on one side, each facing a mirror. On the other wall was a floor to ceiling canvas, covered in small pictures. There was a small number next to each picture. The pictures were all in black and finely detailed. There was also a small table next to each chair with what looked like a small gun or something with a wire attached to it.

"What is this?"

"Ever hear of a tattoo parlor?" he sneered. My throat went dry. Of course I had. Several people in District 12 had them. I went with Gale once to get one. He got a Mockingjay tattooed on his ankle.

"Don't tell." He winked. I giggled and promised not to. I knew he had a crush on Katniss and he was trying to win her favor. Her entering the Hunger Games was painful for him. I sat with him throughout all of the showings. I held his hand when Katniss ran from the careers. He held me when I cried about the flames and her injuries. I comforted him when she kissed Peeta over and over. And when he declared his love for her. And when she helped him recover. And I knew he was almost relieved when he used the berries to kill himself so she could win. I remember the last kiss they shared.

I remember him getting almost a look of relief when the canon went off and Katniss was declared winner. Little did he know about the plan for certain victors.

"Yes." I replied to Cato after an eternity.

"Well, you're getting a tattoo today Rosie."

"Prim." I snapped.

"I get to chose the name."

"Well, I'm not a dog."

"Claude." the boy ignored me and called out. A commotion off to the side caught my eye as what I mistook for a curtain was actually a door. A man stepped through. He was a mocha colored and absolutely covered in tattoos. He grinned when he saw Cato.

"Another tattoo?" he asked, the slight lift in his eyebrows suggesting surprise.

Cato chuckled, "Not for me. Her." He whispered something in Claude's ear. Claude nodded.

"Right over here." Cato began to drag me over to the end chair. I began to struggle.

"I'm not getting a tattoo." I hissed, kicking him in the shin. His eyes flickered for a moment and returned to normal. I elbowed his stomach. He inhaled slowly.

"Stop struggling, you'll make it worse." He slung me over his shoulder and began to pad forward. I was thrown like a sack of bricks in the chair and I saw why they chose this chair. It had built in restraints. My arms were strapped firmly and so were my legs. A firm belt went around my waist. I could barely move back and forth.

"On her wrist?" Claude was asking while preparing. He chose a black coloring.

"Why not?"

My right upper arm was strapped down too. "Don't move, it will hurt worse. Try to relax." Claude whispered in my ear. I nodded, not wanting to go through with this. My heart was hammering and I was trying not to panic.

I closed my eyes and tried to picture life before the Hunger Games. Katniss would illegally hunt for us. While illegal, it provided us with enough food to survive. I pictured Buttercup, my mangy cat as Katniss called him. I felt a needle slide into my arm. I winced. Lady, my goat, which was my birthday present. I could feel the sting. Katniss had spent money because she was already half-dead. She was most likely going to die. But I helped her. I brought her back from death. And in return she helped feed our family with her milk. I could make cheese. I felt my lips curve up into a smile.

I immediately caught myself. I frowned and winced as another wave of pain edged up my arm. I glared at Cato.

"What's the tattoo of?" I growled. I realized my mistake. Here I was getting a tattoo, not even knowing what it was of. I began to struggle to see it.

"Stop moving." Cato snapped. He grabbed my arm and held it still. His hand was gripping painfully tight. My eyes filled with tears. I fought them back.

It seemed like ages before Claude finished. He gave Cato a tight smile and began to put his tools away. I struggled to see around his body. The restraints were taken off. I turned to see my tattoo.

"I hate you." I whispered as I stared at the black ink with as much hatred as I could muster. The two letters on my arm were slightly puffy but still visible. The black lettering was ornate and disgusting.

** C.S**

"Alright." He seemed unaffected by my words. I lay limp as he picked me up. I was thrown back over his shoulder and he began to walk back. I didn't bother moving my frustration was so large. How dare he mark me like a piece of property. I belonged to no one.

He dropped me on the floor of his room, stepping over me carefully. I got up off the ground and just stood there.

"Now, in the other room is the bathroom. Go and shower. You have 8 minutes." As he was speaking he threw a bundle of stuff at me. "Any longer and you-"

"Let me guess, will be punished?"I hissed. I caught the bundle and stalked away. "What for?" I snarled.

"You're going to meet my father."

"Who's you're father?" I sneered.

"Oh you might have heard of him. Alfred Snow, president of Panem?"

**Well, good, bad? Terrible, annoying? Fantastic? Is the plot good? R&R!**


	3. President Snow

** So this is to all of you guys! I got my five reviews! Woo hoo! I could just cry. And the extras really helped too! Thanks soo much! Please R&R!**

_**MissAmazing101: **__Yes, after two or three long weeks, here's my update!_

_**Hunger games rock 17153: **__ok, I cheated and looked up how to spell your name, I admit it. Don't worry, Cato is just unlikable right now because he's, well, unlikeable. Don't worry, he'll hopefully change at some point in the story. Thanks for your review!_

_**Thepandagirl16: **__I wonder if my spell check works? It says your username is a real word…oh well, thanks for your very kind review *bows* I'm flattered_

_**Julietwithnoromeo: **__Ok, sad user name and here's the next chapter for all my wonderful reviewers! I hope you like it. _

_**Hutcherwife: **__Like Josh Hutcherson's wife? Personally, I'm more of a team Cato girl, and I was sad he had to die in the first movie…thanks for your review it made me smile and it was very sweet. _

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_**PrimCatoIKR: **__thanks for your review too! I love all my reviewers! _

**Now for story time!**

Ok, I guess I should give a little background to my 'anger issues' as some people have not so politely put it. My sister won the Hunger Games when she was 18. It was her last year, supposed to be her last year of course.

I remember; _I stood with the 14s knowing my name was only entered 3 times. Katniss had it entered like 30 or something. She had kissed my forehead and assured me there was no way I would be called. I caught her look and gave her a small smile. _

_ The escort Effie Trinket, a very pink woman (was her skin dyed too?!) made the announcements, yada yada, and went to pick the names. _

_ "Ladies first." With what many thought as going overboard she twirled her hand around showily. She then rested on the delicate white papers and selected a slip from somewhere in the middle. With another unnecessary flourish she waved the paper around. She unfolded and read the name with a plastic smile on her face. _

_ "Primrose Everdeen." _

_ What? That was my name. I refused to cry of course, why would I cry? I was 14 an adult. Katniss had shown me how to hunt but I couldn't bring myself to kill those animals. I would however go into the woods and collect edible plants and healing plants while she and Gale checked their snares. I was old enough that I could help support our family, why should Katniss have to do it all?_

_ I could feel the tears begin to leak out, even as I told myself this. I squared my shoulders and began to walk forward. I heard a frantic scream off to my left and saw Katniss shoving by two Peacekeepers. _

_ "PRIM!" she began to claw at another as he tried to force her back. I knew Katniss though, I knew her well enough that I knew she would volunteer. And it was strangely comforting. _

_ "I volunteer." She yelled. That was enough to give those Peacekeepers a pause. "I volunteer as tribute." At that moment, I envied her. Her second response was calm, cool, and void of any emotion. She had a blank face as she shoved past the final guard. She began to walk towards the stage. She threw me a desperate look as she walked by and that's when I felt like the roles were switched. _

_ She was the younger sister, scared, frantic. And I was the elder, supposed to be calm and reassuring. But, I hate myself for this too this day. I let her volunteer. I sat back and allowed my sister to take my place. And it felt almost relieving to know I wasn't going to die. I knew she would never allow me to go into the games, but all I had to say was 'no.' and I would be whisked away. But I didn't. I remained silent. _

"Two minutes." The pounding on the bathroom door grew louder as I let the steam from the shower was over me. I finished lathering shampoo on and I hit several more buttons.

"Who is it?" I called out in a sing song voice. A snarl of irritation followed. I giggled and continued to play with the buttons. A sudden torrent of icy water shot out and engulfed me in the cold. I yelped.

"One minute and you're done." I sighed and stepped out of the shower. The vent I hit when I was out suddenly came to life, blowing a gust of warm air up. In seconds I was dry. Even my hair fell silkily in curls down to my mid-back. I went to grab my old outfit and realized it was gone. Instead, a blue dress was in its place. I stared agape at it. Before the Hunger Games, I would've squealed in happiness at the beautiful dress. Now, it was a symbol of my oppression. I picked up a towel and wrapped it around my body. I then took the fabric and ripped it in two.

"Cato darling, where are my clothes at?" I yelled through the thick door.

I could hear the smugness in his voice. "I threw them away."

"Well the dress in here accidentally got ripped."

"Rosie." It was a warning, a voice full of anger.

"I request better clothes."

"Fine." A bundle was suddenly slid under the door. I opened it. There were my brown pants that I had been wearing and my undergarments. I slipped those on and looked at what else there was. There was a paper thin white cami and a bulky object. I slid the cami on and prayed that the other object was another shirt; there was no way I was just wearing that. It was, only it was a HUGE. I looked like I was drowning in it. It was just a simple black one. I inhaled. Hmm, shampoo and testosterone.

"Um, where's my shirt at?"

"It smelled like a prison."

"I wonder why? Could it possibly be because that's where it came from?" my sarcastic comment seemed to only further annoy him and he unlocked the bathroom door.

"Let's go." He barely glanced at me, just walked in and yanked me out by the wrists.

"I don't want to wear your shirt. Can't I just borrow from someone else?" I failingly tried to yank my wrists free. He kept his hold on them, maybe even tightened his arm more.

"Look." Cato hissed, dragging me close. "My father is a very important man. He has the power of the entire country in his hands. If you show any of your 'attitudes' today, it could-"

"Let me guess, get me killed? What is it with your family and death? Is that like your favorite saying or what?"

"Just be on your best behavior."

"Do you really want to see me at my best?"

I was jerked forward hard. Cato was inches away from my face. His eyes were narrowed in rage and his lips were turned in a scowl. "Rosie."

"Actually it's Prim." I snapped back. "And I can walk perfectly fine by myself." He smirked at me and continued to tug me along.

…

"Enter." The voice was quiet but carried so much authority. I winced ever so slightly.

Cato seemed unfazed as he opened the massive wooden doors like they weighed nothing and dragged me along.

He gave a curt nod. "Father."

The man sitting behind the desk was clearly the most feared man in all of Panem. His white hair looked like it had been that way all of his life and I wondered briefly if he looked like that as a child. I could see his cold gray eyes, snake eyes as Gale called them, fit almost perfectly in with his sharp face. He had the faintest hint of a beard, almost like he forgot to shave last night. I could see an elegant glass of something resting next to his right hand.

"What lovely décor." I said cheerfully. "It's really tasteful." It seemed like every open space in the room was covered in roses. White roses. The smell was overpowering. Cato let out a slight groan next to me.

Alfred Snow let out a choking laugh. His lips gave the slightest lift and dropped back into serious mode.

"So this is Miss Everdeen."

I opened my mouth to say something but Cato cut me off with a glare. "Yes father, she's the one you requested to see."

"Katniss's sister. Last years' victor. She's been very well behaved recently."

I clenched my jaw when they mentioned my sister. My fists balled up.

Snow stood up, "I hope this new servant was a wonderful birthday present."

"Yes sir." He sounded like a robot.

I was getting annoyed from this pointless conversation. Then Snow said something that piqued my interest.

"She believes her sister is dead."

"Ok guys, well, I really need to get back and clean Cato's room, I haven't cleaned it in l0 WHOLE minutes."

Inside, I felt like crying. Katniss thought I was dead? No wonder she's behaving. I needed some way to tell her, to warn her that I'm still alive and to fight. Escape suddenly flashed through my mind.  
Snow's eyes arched in amusement while Cato sighed.

. "There's a fine line between fear and respect."

Cato nodded. "Yes sir."

"You are dismissed."

What did that mean? What was he talking about? Did he mean I should respect Cato? I almost snorted, yeah right, respect my captor. I allowed myself to be lead out of the room, away from the sickly stench of roses and the creepy old man.

As soon as we left the room, Cato pulled me close to him. "What did I say about best behavior?" he growled through gritted teeth.

I gave him a humorless grin. "I didn't kill anyone. I think that deserves a gold star."

Cato didn't say anything as he walked me back to his room. He stepped inside and looked it over. He smirked about something.

"Rosie." He began.

"Prim."

"Rosie, as punishment for your behavior, you will clean my room from top to bottom. When I get back, it must be spotless."

He stopped when I was waving my hand around.

"If it's not is that punishable by death."

He merely reached in his pocket and scribbled out a list. "You have two hours to finish this list." He shoved it towards me and exited the room. I looked through the large list, written in perfect scrawl even if it was written on short notice.

Bed made

Floor swept

Couch brushed off

All surfaces dusted

Windows scrubbed

I snorted and crumpled up the list. Katniss thought I was dead, which means they can't use me against her any more. I changed my mind and unrolled the paper. I wrote something hastily on the back and tapped it to the bed post, so he'd see it. I then began to search the room.

"Yes." I knew how to make snares, Gale taught me. I also knew how to pick locks, Greasy Sae taught me that. I had found a small box of paper clips in a drawer by the desk. I set to work on the door. Within five minutes I heard the lock click and I slid the door open easily.

I peeked carefully around a corner to check for guards and I chose the left side, closed the door, relocked it, and bolted. I hope Cato enjoys his note.

_Clean your own room Capitol boy. _


	4. Azania

** Ok, thanks to all my wonderful reviewers! I'll answer questions now…**

** Bluehead blondie: **_Yeah, I do love this Prim better than a weak Prim. I like making her sarcastic and tough. _

** The panda girl 16: **_here's your update!_

**Guest: **_like I said before, I love making characters that are tough and sarcastic! _

**Hutcherwife: **_aww thanks, I'm blushing!_

**Mrs. Muddlewait**_: Ok, at the beginning Prim's going to have flashbacks about her life before the Hunger Games, during, and after. You'll see just how she grew so bitter and her life wasn't exactly pleasant in the cell. And anymore questions I'll answer at the end, I'm going to try and make this chapter much clearer to show what I'm trying to portray. Question reviews are always welcome. _

**Hunger game rock 17153: **_haha, we'll see Prim's punishment at her 'escape'. =)_

** Tissue729: **_yeah, we'll see if Prim gets caught or not, and yes, I loved writing her note, it made me chuckle ho ho ho. And she's going to try and contact Katniss. R&R!_

**Oh, and Azania is an O.C, I couldn't use any real characters, they don't fit the part. **

_ Flashback:  
I collapsed into sobs as I fell into Katniss' arms. She stroked my hair and whispered soothing words into my ear. But, I could see the underlying irritation. The fact that she was facing life and death and here my mother and I were sobbing while she comforted us. _

_ I forced myself to quit my pointless crying and stifle another chocking sob. I barely remembered what the three of us said but I remember my sister grabbing my mother's arm and giving her some advice. _

_ "Take care of Prim. She needs you." I don't know why but those words sent a jolt of anger through me. I could take care of myself. My mother could barely take care of herself. How could she handle taking care of two people now? _

_ I nodded numbly as my sister grabbed my hand. I gave it a small squeeze of reassurance and she gave me a tight smile. I caught the underlying message. You're in charge now. _

_ I was led out by a cluster of Peacekeepers and I brushed by Gale. He nodded once and headed into the room. _

_ I never knew the impact Katniss would have. _

_ "Katniss the girl on fire." I watched the interview. Gale sat beside me, holding tightly to my hand. When Peeta professed his love for her, I snuck a glance at him. His eyes were narrowed slightly and I could hear the slight intake of breath. _

_ I wrapped my arms around him, surprised when he leaned in. he let out a slight choking sob but quickly stopped. I was baffled for a moment when it hit me. _

_ "You like Katniss."_

_ "Yes." He didn't hesitate, but the slight catch gave away how much it hurt to see her with Peeta. _

_ "I want her to win." _

_ "Me too Rosie." _

_ "Why didn't you volunteer?" the curiosity was overwhelming and I couldn't help but ask. _

_ "I couldn't, Prim." He paused. "Katniss would hate me forever. You don't know how to hunt and your mother can't take care of you. You guys need me. If I left, I don't know who would take care of my family. Or you."_

_ His bluntness was strangely comforting. I liked the fact that he was here and not there. I needed someone to comfort me. I didn't like him. I loved him. But as a brother._

_ For a moment I was curious. What did it feel like to love? But then I would looked over and see the pained expression on his face and know that to love was to be vulnerable. I didn't want that sort of pain. To watch the person you like with no certainty of survival. I wondered how Gale felt; knowing that at any moment, Katniss could die and her death would be projected on a screen for all of Panem to see. It was a slightly morbid thought. _

_ And so we watched. Peeta and Katniss' first kiss. When Gale was relieved when Peeta joined the Careers. When he helped out Katniss. It was all very painful to watch. Katniss' first kill was the worst. Her expressionless face. The way she did it without remorse. The games change you. Glimmer's bloated body. _

_ I turned away, knowing that her death was one step closer to Katniss' victory. _

_ And finally, the final battle. _

_ Katniss and Peeta, finally reunited, when she realized she did love him and she nursed him back to health. They were now frantically sprinting for the cornucopia, the wolf-mutt pack hot on their heels. The commentators let out an exclamation. _

_ "What's that? Look at those eyes? Seem familiar? The perfect choice for a final battle."_

_ I looked closer and realized that indeed, the eyes were those of past tributes. They showed pictures of the people and then a close up of the mutts. I buried my face in Gale's shoulder. _

_ I finally watched as they reached safety, followed closely by Cobalt, the District 2 male. He wore his body armor and once reaching safety, turned to the two District 12s. They fought and Cobalt fell to the mutts, suffering a long, gruesome death. _

_ Then, the announcement came. _

_ "We're sorry, the rules have been changed, and there can only be one victor. Happy hunting!"_

_ Then, Katniss and Peeta talked long and hard. They both were going to eat the berries, but Peeta looked over at Katniss._

_ "You and I both know the consequences of winning Katniss. You don't really love me. It was all for show." His bitterness cut deep and with sad eyes, he took the berries from her hand. He ate all of them. _

_ Katniss lost it. She began to try and claw them from his mouth, but the boom of the canon sounded and before she could move, a hovercraft grabbed her and lifted her away. _

_ The pain of his rejection had crushed her. I knew that much. It only showed me even more to be careful about giving out trust. I missed Katniss dearly. I missed my sister. _

I ducked low down another corridor as I remembered those final moments. Katniss' victory. Peeta's death.

_Forget it Prim, focus on escape. _

Why did I want to escape? Three reasons.

One. Katniss. Those words President Snow said had given me hope. _Her sister doesn't know she's alive. _That meant she thought I was dead. First she lost Peeta. Then Gale. He wasn't killed but they claimed he was her cousin. She could never have a life with him. And now me. I could almost picture the pain she must be feeling. My 'death' might have been her breaking point. She no longer gave some sort of fight. I remember her words.

"They will never fully break me. As long as I know you're here, I will search for a way out."

I winced as I remembered those words. She thought I was dead. She was broken. Cato had a new servant, Katniss would never come here. President Snow had really thought this through. I felt a flash of admiration.

I had to escape to warn her, to give her a message that I was still alive. To continue fighting in her own way.

Two. My mother. She was still in prison. If I could escape and get a message to Katniss she would know I'm alive. Then she could help me free my mother in prison. With Katniss gone they would have no more use for her. It would be easy to help her escape.

Unless. Unless. They didn't have a use for her and they would kill her. This is why I needed to escape and warn Katniss as soon as possible.

Three. Cato. That obnoxious, arrogant, jerk really needed to learn that the world didn't revolve around him and spending one more minute with him was the last thing to do on my list. I could only hope to get as far away from him as possible.

I couldn't help but chuckle at what his expression might look like when he discovers the note and me missing.

I turned down another corridor but changed my mind when I heard voices wafting faintly from down the hall. I opened a door and ducked inside. Once safe, I leaned against the door to calm my heart down. I took a few gulps of air.

"Hello." A voice called out from in front of me.

I gasped and realized I slipped into a room with a person in it. More importantly; a person's bedroom. It was clearly a female's. The walls were painted a soft yellow color and the creams and beige's that made up the rest of the room was tasteful.

I rested my eyes on the girl who spoke. She looked to be about 40. She was small with strawberry blonde hair cut in a cute bob. Her hazel eyes were widened slightly at seeing me but otherwise she kept calm.

Her eyes lit up slightly and her lips curved into a smile at my open mouth.

"I'm assuming you're running from something."

"You could say that." For some reason, I didn't really want to say anything super rude. She looked like she might help me out.

"May I see your arm." Her soothing voice calmed me down and I slowly extended my left arm.

She stepped forward and looked closely. Then she took my other arm and turned it over. I could hear a sharp intake of breath.

"You're Cato's?" she gasped.

"No." I snapped. "I'm Prim. I belong to no one."

She let out a laugh. "You're probably giving him a lot of trouble I bet, Prim."

I gave her a wry smirk.

"You should be cautious, he has quite a temper. I wouldn't want to push his buttons too badly."

I could see the slight awe in her gaze. She seemed surprised I had the guts to attempt escape. I gave her my best pity smile.

She sighed, "How about some food? I'm sure you're hungry." She began to walk towards a square box on a wall. "I'm Azania by the way." She rang a bell.

I grinned at my success. Hiding in here would keep me safe for now. I doubted Azania would give me away at the moment. But she was a Capitol woman and I couldn't fully trust her yet. Although it might be useful to have some allies.

"Primrose Everdeen." I decided to tell her my full name for some pity points.

Azania gasped. "Like Katniss Everdeen's sister? Oh you poor dear."

A young male walked out of another door carrying a tray full of food. He was around 16 with dark brown hair. His green eyes were serious and concentrated as he focused entirely on the food. His mouth looked swollen and I wondered what happened to him. He set the food down and walked quickly out.

I started eating, still curious about the boy.

"Who was that?"

She waved at hand. "An Avox." She saw my confused look and quickly explained. "They're people who do crimes against the Capitol and they get their tongues cut out so they can no longer slander the president." I was momentarily disgusted but I remembered she had grown up there all her life. She didn't understand. I took another bite of food.

"Do you know Cato?" I asked between mouthfuls.

Her smile faded, "Yes, he dated my daughter once. They had a pretty nasty breakup. She now works in the Capitol kitchen."

"Oh, I'm sorry. And you knew I would have a tattoo on my arm. Does everyone have tattoos?"

"It depends. Usually, yes though. It depends on the master."

"What's your daughter's name?"

"Variety."

"You're going to return me to Cato." I knew that she would. While nice to me, her loyalty would be to the president.

"Not right now. We can wait awhile." She smiled mischievously. I snorted.

"Now have some more sandwiches."

…

After a couple hours with Azania she finally stood and held out an arm. "Come on, I think it's time you returned to your quarters. I think someone is expecting you."

I debated my options. I could leave and continue trying escape, but I had decided to formulate a better plan. I would get to know everyone here. Their personalities, their schedules. Everything. That way, I could have a very well thought out escape plan. Also, it would be useful to have allies. The best way right now was to wait for the perfect window of escape.

"I-I don't know how to get there." I admitted.

"That's perfectly fine, I'll have an Avox take you." She rang the bell and the brown hair boy returned. He kept his eyes downcast and led me towards the door.

"Thank you for your kindness. Azania." I called as I followed the boy out the door. I paused. "Can I come visit you sometime?"

"If Cato allows it, of course." She called. "I'm usually free in the afternoon. I do give piano lessons a couple days a week. In the mornings I tutor at the Capitol school. As soon as the door closed she collapsed on a chair. "Please be easy on her punishment." She whispered.

…

I followed the Avox at a distance. He seemed eager to finish escorting me. I caught up and grabbed his arm. "Wait." He seemed doubtful but paused.

"What's your name?"

He hesitated but he pulled out a notepad from his front pocket and hastily scribbled something on a slip of paper. He folded it and thrust it in my hand. He then continued fast walking down the hall.

I was partially curious. I mean, I wanted to ask him a flurry of questions. But he obviously wanted me to read it later in private. I quickened my pace to follow him.

As the hallway became more familiar, I grew more ticked off. My good mood vanished gradually as the door got closer.

The Avox stopped at the door and ducked his head. He rapped sharply on the door and stood back. The door flew open and Cato stood there. The poor Avox cowered back a few steps. The president's son glared at him before resting his eyes on me. I could see the cold rage in his gaze.

"Thank you for bringing her back." The boy bowed, shot me a look that said 'I'm sorry' and scurried away.

Cato crossed his arms and leaned in the doorway. "Well." Was all he said.

I was temporarily at a loss for words. "Um…I'm sorry?"

"No you're not." He hissed.

"Look, I-" he suddenly snapped. He lunged forward and grabbed my arm. I was jerked into the room and the door slammed. I was thrown on the floor. A boot pressed into my back.

"Are you an idiot? Honestly?" he pressed harder against my back. "I should make you an Avox. Maybe than you'll become more obedient."

I didn't say anything; figuring talking would only make him worse. Suddenly, the boot eased slightly and then lifted off entirely. I rolled over on my back to stare up at him. He seemed to be struggling with his anger. The rage was leaving though and his face gradually became calmer. I relaxed slightly, he was calming down now.

I was shocked by the kick to the side. I gasped as pain exploded in my vision. I grabbed my ribs and curled into a ball. "Ouch."

"Don't do that again." He hissed before storming over to the other side of the room. "I'm going to take a shower."

I meanwhile, managed to crawl over to the plush couch in his room and drag myself on it. I rested my eyes and waited for the pain to recede. I then inspected my wound. It was already bruising, darkening more every second. The middle was purple and was ringed by a brownish yellow. I winced again. Escape was going to be a whole lot tougher.

**Ok, how was that guys? I hope you like it. This chapter was really tough to write for some reason. Ok, now onto **

** Mrs. Muddlewait: **_Ok, did that answer your questions? Oh, and the part about Prim's first response is to take a nap, if you reread chapter one, she thinks they are going to kill her and they are giving her the room as one last luxury. So, as her final act, she decided to enjoy the comfort and take a nap. She didn't know she was going to become a slave or anything. _


	5. Flashbacks

**Ah yes, this is me being VERY lazy on updating. I'm trying dears, I really am…but school starts tomorrow and I have sports so this isn't top priority anymore. Sorry but I have to graduate school at one point in my life. =) anyways, here's an update (No matter how late). Please R&r! This chapter does contain only mention of torture. I might put it in later, but eh, I don't know. **

**Now to answer some reviewers!**

**MissAmazing101: Thanks for your reviews, they mean a lot to me!**

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**Onto the story!**

_Why did I want to escape? _My mother. Katniss. Cato. Those three thought were running through my mind as I lay on the floor. I began to drag myself forward. I leaned up against the wall and took deep breaths. My ribs were already beginning to bruise.

I needed a plan. The first escape was a total fail. I messed up miserably and got caught. My next one had to be thought out. Planned. I needed supplies. I needed knowledge. Allies.

First. I would need to not arouse suspicion. That would be actually behaving. Slightly. I would need to lull Cato into a false sense of security and then I would leave. I would be the, almost, model slave.

Second, I would need allies. I needed people on my side, more or less trustworthy. They wouldn't know about my plans but they would be my informants. They wouldn't know it, but I could glean information out of them. I could learn everything I wanted to know about the Capitol and this house.

Third. Supplies. I would need to somehow store supplies away. That's why I would need knowledge. I would need to find a room or something where nobody went into anymore. I could ferret away provisions and nobody would ever know.

Fourth. I needed to find away to send Katniss a message. I knew I could never send actual words. That would be confiscated and any planning I had made would be ruined. I had one idea that might work. It was a pin she had given me the first time she visited us in prison. A special pin. A pin that had become her symbol. Her token. A Mockingjay pin. I wore it on the inside of my clothes so no one would ever discover it. To me, it was a symbol of hope. Katniss was the girl on fire and this was her spark. If I could send that to her, she would know that it was me.

The prison. I shuddered for a moment when I remembered that place. Even though it was only a few days ago, I was grateful to no longer be kept in that terrible building. The dim lighting, the guards, the torture. I grabbed my side and took a deep breath, trying to calm the memories. But they came;

_Week one. _

_I lay on the bedding. It was lumpy compared to the one we had at home. Katniss liked to stuff ours with goose feathers. Katniss. I wasn't too worried though. Katniss always pulled through for us. I bet, right now she's busily planning our escape and preparing supplies. _

_I was in a brightly lit cell with a window. My mother was sitting in a chair next to me. I was glad they put us both together. I would've gone crazy if she wasn't there. She was busily drawing something. _

_I heard the door to the prison open. I lifted my head slightly. Was it supper already? The heavy footsteps of the guards approached our cell. The door clinked as they slid a key in. I wondered briefly if it was Katniss. _

_The guard stormed in, grabbing me around the neck. I was hauled roughly from the room. I saw another guard restraining my mother. The guard yanked me along on one arm. My feet flailed in the air. The guard smelled like sweat. And fear. But not his own. _

_I let out a shriek of pain as they dropped me into a chair unceremoniously. They strapped restraints on my arms and tightened them. I couldn't really move. I was in a room. The walls were a pale gray, the floor was a pale gray, the ceiling was a pale gray, and the chair was a pale gray. Everything was gray. The color was only amplified by the florescent bulbs glaring in my eyes. I squinted slightly. There was a mirror taking up a whole wall. _

_The guards were standing by the door with their arms crossed. It opened again. I half expected to see my mother. Instead, a man walked in. he was tall, almost unnaturally. He had handsome black hair and piercing red eyes. Wait red? It must be a Capitol thing. He had a ghost of a beard and while I noted most Capitol citizens liked to get their wrinkles removed, he seemed to enjoy them. They cast shadows on his face and darkened his eyes. His lips were in a permanent frown. I could see now that he did have surgery. He had wolf fangs. They extended out when he lifted his mouth to speak. _

_"Hello Prim." His voice was deep, with a feral growl to it. His red eyes were deathly serious and I noticed how large his ears were. I remembered an old nursery tale my sister once told me. It was called Little Red Cap. The girl's grandmother had been eaten and the wolf was impersonating her. Though everyone could tell he really was a wolf, he still believed he could pass as human. _

"Oh, grandmother, what big ears you have!"

"_I was thinking that you and I could have a little chat." The man spoke, inching forward. _

"All the better to hear you with."

"_I am Doctor Wulfe." _

"Oh, grandmother, what big eyes you have!"

"_I am here to help you darling."_

"All the better to see you with."

"_I think we can help each other." He reached into his coat and began to rummage around for something. _

"Oh, grandmother, what big hands you have!"

_"You're sister's being stubborn. I think you can help her realize she doesn't have a choice._

"All the better to grab you with!"

_I remained mute, afraid to speak. He frowned and checked his coat once more. His lips curved into the smallest of smiles. He really was enjoying this. _

"Oh, grandmother, what a horribly big mouth you have!"

_You're sister obviously doesn't love you. She stays in her room all day. We told her to come and visit you guys but she refused. He looked towards the mirror. Why was he checking himself out?_

"All the better to eat you with!"

_He pulled out a knife. It was sharp. Very sharp. Someone had obviously lovingly sharpened it. He stroked the edge for a moment before turning on me. "Let's teach her a lesson shall we?" he raised the knife. _

My finger was unconciously tracing a scar on my leg. It was across my ankle, a deep vein, slightly raised. It was a crescent shape. I ran my hand over the bump, not really willing to move yet. Now that I thought of it, Katniss had been there. She had been watching through the one way window. I wondered. Did she struggle when I was getting punished? Did she remain expressionless and try and push out the images? Did she cry?

I heard the shower turn off. I moved my hand to another scar. This one on my belly. Same length, same raised skin. Doctor Wulfe at least knew symmetry. I closed my eyes and fought against a surprise tear. They will never see me cry.

A few heartbeats passed. Silence stretched. The door to the bathroom suddenly flew open. I tensed but stayed where I was. Cato strode out. He had a deep scowl on his face and his gaze scanned the room rapidly before coming to rest on me. His scowl lessened ever so slightly. He was glad I didn't escape again.

He was wearing loose fitting pants and a gray shirt.

"Let's go." He growled. His voice was low and tense. I figured to best try and start working on my plan as soon as possible. I scrambled up, clenching my teeth to trap a hiss of pain from escaping. My ribs flared up with pain. A wave of hot agony rolled over them for a moment before finally fading to a dull throb.

I clenched my side for a moment, it helped lessen the pain. Boy, he had a heavy boot. Cato was watching with a look of total annoyance on his face. He crossed his arms as I limped over to him.

I wanted to ask him where we were going, but I was still slightly bitter about being nailed in the rib cage. I crossed my own arms and stared levelly at him. He sneered and walked out the door. "Keep up." Was all he snapped. I bit back a retort and limped after him.

I swear he was purposely taking huge strides down the hall. I had to jog to keep up. Each bounce sent a flash of pain down my side. I gritted my teeth and forced myself to continue moving. I finished with a little hop and made it to Cato's side. He glanced down, satisfied.

"Where are we going?" I finally gasped out. He turned sharply down another hall.

"Training. I hope you're fit." I merely gaped. Training? In my condition. This was my punishment.

He finally stopped at a wide set of double doors. He pushed them open effortlessly. I stared in shock at the massive room. I had seen a few clips of the Hunger Games training room before. This was a mirror image on steroids. In addition to all the agility stations, there were training dummies, an entire wall of weapons, nets stretching across the entire arena, a weight sections. The only thing missing were the survival stations. Cato immediately headed towards the wall of weapons. He totally ignored them and pressed a button I didn't notice until he used it. A door slid open and he slipped inside. There was even more supplies in there. There was several racks with different weapons. He went to the swords. I could see him pick them up. His anger was gone, almost tenderness replaced it. Great, the only thing that could make a murderous psycho happy was sharp toys.

He glanced up. "Wheel this out of the room."

"Why don't you just use the weapons outside?" it actually wasn't a threat, I was just curious.

His frown returned. "These are mine." He gestured to the several racks of various items. I realized this room was his. Everything in this room belonged to him. All those weapons.

"Great." Was all I could think of saying.

**Ok, not much progress with Cato and Prim but I wanted the flashback to become a main focus. These are quite important so pay close attention or else the ENTIRE story will be ruined. Ha ha just kidding =) so, please tell me what you think R&r**

**~DuckShadow~ (In case you were wondering yes I did change my name. it's not that different.) **


	6. Meeting?

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The pain in my chest was fading as I watched Cato. He seemed to move with an almost inhuman grace. His movements were fluid, practiced.

He was facing five training dummies, not just targets, they were high tech capital equipment; they could analyze his movements and try to counter that.

Cato gripped the sword, seeming to forget that I was there. He held sideways towards his face, breathing lightly. I could see him thinking. Hard. His well trained eyes took in the strengths and weaknesses of each one.

Cato moved like lightning, the sword flashing out. He step-sided a sharp dagger whipped at his head. He ducked low and rolled twice to minimize shock. I could see him hop up, stabbing the dummy directly in the chest. A splatter of faux blood spurted from the wound.

He pulled the weapon out and ducked again to avoid the second enemy. Within moments, that one and the third man were decapitated. Two more to go.

I felt my fingers blush up against a slip of paper in my pocket. At first, I was confused, when did I get paper. Then, it hit me. That Avox! He had written his name on that piece. I checked Cato's progress; he was busy with the dummies. I hastily unrolled the parcel and looked at the name written down. Or rather, sentence.

_I'm Sorry_

Now, unless he had a very unusual name, I don't think that is possible. What was he sorry for? Probably for taking me towards my punishment today. He probably felt guilty. I tucked the paper back in my pocket and watched as the final two targets, both decapitated, fell to the ground.

Cato whipped his shirt off, since it already was soaked in sweat. I felt my gaze wander towards hit body. He was muscular, that was for sure. His arms were roped with snakes of thick muscle that moved whenever he flexed.

He had a much sculpted chest, along with a six pack. He turned around and caught my gaze. Cato smirked and turned around. He purposely flexed, allowing me a nice view of hit very sinewy back.

I let out a hiss of annoyance and looked elsewhere. He was handsome, and unfortunately, very attractive. Unfortunately. It just would be easier to hate him if he were ugly.

I lay on my back and stared at the ceiling. I heard a thud from another target meeting its death. This room actually could be very helpful. The wall was covered with weapons. Weapons are useful. Especially when escaping.

I couldn't just take a weapon though. I would first have to wait awhile to gain some trust. Then I could start executing my plan.

We stayed in this room for a few hours. I was practically falling asleep from my position on the floor. I could hear the sound of metal on metal suddenly stop. I opened one eye carefully to see Cato staring my way. I closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep. Maybe he'd just leave me here.

No such luck. Cato suddenly grabbed me, swinging me off the ground. He held me bridal style. I let out a shriek of fury and began to struggle.

"Put me down!"

He smirked. "Make me."

No matter how much I struggled, Cato's iron grip didn't loosen. He might've even tightened his hold. My ribs began to ache again. He carried me all the way back to the room. The boy deposited me on the ground and stared down at me. I scrambled to my feet.

"Are your ribs hurting?" Cato's voice held no trace of concern. It was actually mocking. A faint ghost of a smirk rested on his lips.

I didn't reply.

"I'm taking a shower. If you're gone when I get out, you'll have a lot more to worry about than bruised ribs." He left with the threat hanging between us.

I decided to stay. I really didn't want to know what other threat he was talking about. I dragged myself over to his huge couch. I settled in and waited. My fingers traced another scar on my right arm. I lifted up my shirt to look at my ribs. There was a scar right above the bruise. I had a lot of those. Scars I mean.

Five minutes later, the shower shut off and the door opened. Cato emerged, wearing nothing but long athletic shorts and a white tee-shirt.

"Get over here."

He was like a hormonal teenage girl. First he was mad. Then he was in a good mood. And now it looked like he was back in his angry mood. He appeared to have two moods. Angry and heavily sarcastic.

I stood up and limped over to him. He passed me a bundle of clothes and crossed his arms. I looked up at him in confusion.

He let out a growl of annoyance. "It's pajamas. To sleep in? Ever done that before?"

"What have something decent to wear? Nope, never. I'm used to enjoying nice cold metal bars." I was going for sarcasm, but he seemed to ignore it.

"Go. Change."

I trotted into the bathroom and closed the door. I took my time changing into whatever clothes he picked out for me. It was a large cotton shirt and small shorts. It looked like I wasn't even wearing pants.

I crossed my arms and opened the door. Cato was sprawled on his bed, leaning back casually. His eyes flickered to me; followed by a smirk on his lips.

I scowled. "I want my own clothes. I'm sick of Capitol stuff."

He held up three fingers. "One, all of you clothes are gone. Two, I burned them. Three, you're mine, I choose what you wear."

I narrowed my eyes. "You don't own me. You can't own people."

"Dearie, you're not in District 12 anymore."

That seemed to hurt more than anything he had ever said to me. I wasn't in District 12. I never would be again. Unless I managed to escape, I would be forced to work with this psychopath for the rest of my life.

Cato patted the spot beside him. "Come on."

"I'm not sleeping with you." I scowled.

"Where else are you going to sleep?" he stood up and crossed the room to stand right next to me. His close proximity forced me to crane my neck to glare at him in the eye.

"On the couch?" I cursed myself. I meant it to sound like a threatening statement but it came out like a question.

"I have a better idea since you're so against sleeping on the bed."

Cato yanked me forward, causing me to yelp in surprise. He pulled out a chain and locked one part on my ankle. The metal was painfully tight and pinched my skin. He then looped the other half around the leg of the bed. It clicked into place.

"Have fun." He turned and got back in his bed. My chain he had just attached was about 4 feet long. It allowed me about zero movement. I glared at him but my pride refused to let me speak.

I lay on the ground; since it was the only place I could move. The floor was wooden and very cold. I was cold. At least my cell had blankets. With a shiver, I closed my eyes.

~`0.0`~

Two weeks later-

My ribs had healed. I still refused to sleep in the bed. I spent every night freezing on the floor. I still refused to sleep on the bed, but I wasn't sure how much longer I could take it. Cato had gotten me some new clothes. They were better than my current ones at least.

I was currently locked in Cato's room. I never left it unless he was training. I right now was 'cleaning' his room. Basically, I made his bed and then watched T.V or something. Nothing new was on.

I paced the room. Cato wasn't here. The door was locked though and I really didn't feel like trying to leave. He would randomly come and go. I had a feeling it was so I couldn't figure out his schedule. I wouldn't know when the best time to leave would be.

I hated it here. I couldn't plan my escape; I needed to be able to walk around to do that. I made another lap around the room. I had explored every corner of this room; there was nothing else to do.

I lay on my back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Then, I heard a knock at the door. I rolled onto my stomach. That wasn't Cato; he usually just barged right in. It couldn't be just anyone. I never got visitors. Did I?

Just as I got up and began to pad towards the door, a note slid under it. It was folded up several times and had my name hastily written on the one side.

I made sure no footsteps were approaching and I snatched up the paper. I unfolded it with shaking hands. This right here was the most exciting thing I had had happen to me in a long time.

I read the few lines scrawled in pen. Actually; it was nice handwriting. Proper cursive and stuff.

_Outside Kitchen. Tonight. Down stairs directly to left. _

_~J._

Ok, the only J I didn't know a J. Who wanted to meet me? Tonight? Why? This could potentially be dangerous. If whoever it was knew that, it must be important. I could pull it of though, I realized.

I needed a bobby pin or something. If I remembered correctly, Cato would be training today. That would mean he would go to bed earlier because he'd be tired. That would give me plenty of time to free my ankle and sneak downstairs in time for midnight.

I'm pretty sure Cato left the door unlocked at night. If I was chained up; why would he have to worry? And if I had a bobby pin the door wouldn't be a problem.

_Was I really willing to do this? _

The potential danger. That thought sent a thrill through me. Danger. The most danger I'd experienced recently was…nothing. I was so bored. This note. This was something potentially dangerous. Exciting. I had my answer.

_Yes. Yes, I am. _

**Well? Sorry about the really long wait for an update. I have school, Cross Country, homework, bed. That's honestly my life right now. I'm trying reeeaally hard. Please R&r!**


	7. Training

** Dun, dun, dun, an update! Finally. Well, I was feeling generous and I'm waiting a bit before updating HSNHG, (My other fic) so, I thought I'd update this one. Please R&r!**

** Oh, and I made a mistake. You may have noticed it. The Avox who wrote the note, um, I never told you the name, and um I accidentally made it seem like Prim did. Sorry, his name's going to be mentioned in this chapter so it's not that important but, sorry. I went back and fixed it! R&r! I'll reply to half my reviews up top and then half below so it's not a long author's note. **

**Countryjesusfreak: **_Thanks =)_

**Jng1: **_aww, really? I'm terrible at sprinting, so I stick with cross. =) _

**xxPaige23xx: **_Thanks =)_

**the-hooded-figure2: **_Oh really? I love running! Do you run 5ks? Ugh, I have a meet tomorrow, I love practices, and hate meets. =)_

**Thepandagirl16: **_here's an update!_

**The rest will be in the bottom author's note. **

**Oh, and from now on, I'm going to add something special just for you guys. Just to make you laugh. =)**

_I've always wanted to get into a cab and yell: "Follow that car!"_

_A ghost could be humping you right now and you would never know it._

J? I had no idea who J was. I mean, he could be anyone. I had a nagging feeling that he was somebody important, but I had no idea who he was.

I was currently lying on the floor, waiting for Cato to return. It was still morning and I had no idea when he'd come back. I was assuming soon since he usually eats breakfast and then returns.

I heard the door open, just as predicted. Cato seemed unusually cheerful. Something was going on. It probably involved me in some way.

Sure enough. "Prim."

"What?" I snapped. I didn't get up from my spot. I was lying on; it was a nice plush carpet at the foot of his couch.

He didn't seem fazed as he stepped around the furniture and stood over me. He crossed his arms and cocked his head to the side.

We stayed like that for several moments, him staring at me; obviously thinking of some horrible new way to punish me; me staring at him, wishing he would just explode.

Finally, he breathed and grinned cheerfully. Let me rephrase that, Cato and cheerful don't fit together. More like he attempted to smile but it looked kinda threatening.

"We're training."

"Ok." Normally that would mean him violently hacking at people-shaped targets with a sword while I took a nap in the corner.

"Get up." He threw a bundle of clothes at me. I winced at the weight of the bundle.

"What's in here? Bricks?" I snapped. I unfolded the bundle to reveal tight black pants and a light gray shirt. There also was a pair of soft leather boots; the source of the weight.

"Put those on." He turned away, giving me 'privacy'. I scowled.

"Why?"

"I said so." He didn't turn around but I could hear the amusement in his voice.

I hastily changed, checking that he wasn't looking. He wasn't.

Once I was finished; surprisingly the clothes fit well. The shirt allowed loose movement and so did the pants. The boots were easy to move in.

"Let's go." No matter what, his good mood seemed unshakable. He jogged down the hall with me scurrying after him. I had a sinking feeling that these clothes were meant for training. He meant for me to train today. This was going to be bad.

"What weapons are you efficient in?"

"Um…" I wasn't sure if I should admit that I was ok with a sling. I doubted he'd really care about that skill. "I know the sling."

"Sling?" Cato frowned thoughtfully. "What about a knife?"

"A knife?" I considered it. I had thrown a knife a few times. Katniss taught me that. She tried to teach me bow, but that was a fail.

"I can use herbs really well."

"This isn't the Hunger Games, that doesn't matter here. How about we work on your agility today?"

"Why do I have to do this?" I growled agitatedly.

"Because you need to stay in shape. I like to make sure anything of mine actually looks semi-decent. You have done nothing but sit around and sleep. I think you could use some exercise." He poked my stomach.

I let out an eep and backed away. He really was ridiculously happy about this. "Fine." I realized how much I could use this to my advantage. I would have to escape. And to escape would involve a lot of running to reach District 12. I was going to need to be fit.

Cato led me to the other side of the training center. I saw a series of raised steps. They were about four or five feet apart from the last one. The first step was about ten feet in the air. A rope hung down, the only way to the top.

After the steps, there was a set of monkey bars. Except the rungs were set at different heights and spaced awkwardly. Then it was a series of what looked like rooftops slanting at steep angles. They also went at a downward slope.

After all of that, there was a bunch of tires on the ground and then a series of hurdles. It finally ended there.

"Let's start here." He said. He stood next to the steps and whipped out a stopwatch. "Go."

I was still gawking at the stairs when he said that. I jumped for a second before I realized he meant for me to move! I leapt forward, reaching the rope mid leap. I began to haul myself up. Now I wasn't very strong. But I was nimble; at least I could do that.

I liked to go in the woods with Katniss and climb trees. Actually, she had taught me how to climb. It was all about wits and knowing where to place your body.

I managed to scramble up to the top of the step and begin my leaps. I was still tired from the climb but I wanted to show Cato I wasn't getting soft. I made the first leap. I landed awkwardly, with both arms and a leg on it. I hauled myself up and managed to shakily stand.

I made the next leap, each growing progressively harder. The final jump, I landed but tottered on the edge for a moment. I threw myself forward and managed to find balance.

I headed towards the monkey bars. My arms were sore from balancing myself; but I pushed through the fatigue. I managed to gain momentum and throw myself onto the first ring. I swung into the second one. It went on like that until I reached the edge. With a drop, I finished obstacle number two.

Obstacle number three. The roofs were hard. I mostly fell. I banged my knee against the bottom of one rooftop and cut my hand on the edge of another. Once I slid the final one though, all I had was the tires and hurdles.

The tires were a problem. I was breathing hard and my feet hurt. Lifting my legs was hard, almost impossible. I stubbed my toe and let out a curse. I forced my body to power through.

_Come on Prim, almost done. Finish this!_

With a growl, I moved onto the hurdles. I dug deep in my mind for the reserve of energy. I had a burst of adrenaline; enough to clear the final hurdles and collapse with a groan of pain on the finish line.

It took me several minutes to get my breathing back to normal. I was still panting faintly when Cato leaned over me; a small grin on his face.

"Not bad, but are you almost ready for round 2?"

It turns out; Cato made me do that three times. Three times. I almost cried the third time. I was so tempted to not leave tonight and just sleep. Sleep all night and day. That's how tired I was. But; through my extreme fatigue, curiosity was a little bit stronger. So I couldn't help but pick the lock and slip out the door. I followed the instructions; down the hall and to the left.

I knew where the kitchen was. I waited nervously in the shadows, uncertain who J was and if he was just a trap. I didn't have to worry long. A cloaked figure padded silently over and paused by the door.

I decided to take a chance and reveal myself. _Now or never Prim. You can either help yourself or get into huge trouble. _With a deep breath, I stepped out and saw who the figure was.

"You." I breathed. It was him. The Avox who wrote me the apology note. I could've fainted.

**Ok, please R&r! oh and the Avox will be a semi-real character; I just made up his name. I hope you enjoy this chapter and have a great day! **


	8. Jace

** Ello dear reviewers! Thanks for reviewing. Since I'm not extremely fond of long author notes, I'm going to pick select reviewers to respond to; instead of everyone. If you really want me to respond to you, write PLEASE RESPOND SHADOW! Under you review =). R&r!**

** Jng1: Ok, love your profile pic. XD**

** Mace: I agree, tough Prim=Awesome =)**

Prim's POV:

I was still staring at the boy; mouth partially open. The boy; dark brown hair making his head look oddly shaped and green eyes glowing in the moonlight, had a surprisingly sheepish look on his face. His eyes reminded me of my cat Buttercup's the way they gleamed in the dark. I wondered briefly if he had night vision.

I was just recovering when he whipped out a pen and pad of paper and began to scribble furiously. I watched him warily.

His tongue stuck out on one side as he finally finished writing. He slid the paper towards me.

_Thanks for coming. I'm Jace._

I tilted my head sideways at him. "Hello, Jace." I whispered softly. His eyes lit up excitedly. He began to scribe again.

He flipped it over again. I read the lines.

_I can help you contact your sister. _

I jerked my head up so fast he stumbled back. "Really?" I hissed at him. He nodded. "How?"

_I need your help too. _

I was beginning to understand what he was gunning for. "You're offering a deal." Another nod. "You help me and I help you."

A small smile. I immediately liked this boy. He didn't beat around the bush; he was willing to do whatever it took to get what he wanted.

"What do you want?" it was a curious question. I honestly wanted to know what he could possibly need. He flipped over the page. He already had written the words. Or word since it was a single word.

_Freedom. _

"How?" A shrug.

"You need someone you can trust. You want to escape but you can't do this alone." The word seemed foreign. Was anybody trustworthy anymore? Could I ever believe someone again? I wasn't sure.

Jace gave me a sheepish smile. "Yes." I took a step back in surprise.

"You can talk?" I squeaked.

"Yes." His voice was rich, not deep and threatening like Cato's. He gave me a small smile. "I find it better to not though."

"Why?" the words that I didn't speak hung in the air. Why did he trust me with this knowledge? If they found out about him, he would be killed. He was placing a huge amount of trust in my hands. 

"It's easier to stay here if I don't. But that's not why we're here. I need to help someone else escape too."

For a second, my heart sped up. Was he offering me a chance of freedom? A way out? To work together against our mutual enemy?

"My sister. She works in the kitchen. I need your help to contact her."

I guess not. But this could work in my favor. While it would be a slight setback, I still could let Katniss know I'm alive. This could work.

"How can you contact Katniss?"

"There's a ball in one month at this mansion. She'll be there."

"One month?" I could do that; I could survive another month if it meant seeing my sister again. Maybe we could even escape together. Yeah right.

I took a deep breath. "Ok. I'll do it. I'll help you out."

I held out a hand. Jace surprise me by stepping up and wrapping me in a hug. I sighed for a moment, in his arms it was almost easy to forget about my problems. His body was warm and he smelled like cinnamon. But this wasn't a romantic hug. It was one of relief and the only reason I was speaking to this boy was our need of something. Strictly business.

I pulled away. He looked a little ruffled.

"Thank you." He whispered. He pulled out a slip of paper and slipped it in my hands. "I'm not allowed in the kitchens, but I need to deliver this to her. Can you gain access to the kitchen and give this to her?"

"Yes." Then as an afterthought, "What's her name?"

He half-turned to quietly whisper his response. "Lavinia."

0. O

Slipping back into the room was ten times as nerve wrecking as slipping out. I listened at the door for a solid twenty minutes before finally risking it. I let out a relived breath and slipped into the bed, quietly so as not to disturb anyone. I closed my eyes and slipped into a light slumber.

"Well, I guess the cold floor finally got to you." A heavily sarcastic voice woke me up. Light filtered dimly from the curtained windows.

I opened my eyes fully to see Cato standing over me.

"Dang it." I had been so dazed from all the information I had learned last night, I wasn't even paying attention to my actions. I had fallen asleep. In the bed. With Cato.

I scrambled off the comfy mattress and skidded to the floor. I hit the ground and rolled back onto my feet.

I wasn't sure what to say so I just remained impassive. Real smooth. I forced my gaze upward to meet Cato's in a steely glare.

He smirked, knowing he was triumphant. What annoyed me most was the fact that I had no snappy response. I had done that from my own stupidity. It really was my own fault.

"Stay here." He held up a hand arrogantly.

"No." I snapped the words out before I could think. Actually, I was looking forward to being locked in here all day. I was still exhausted from last night. It was his arrogant manner and smirk this morning that had me in an arguing mood. Plus my obvious lack of sleep.

"No?"

I wasn't going back on my words now. "I'm sick of sitting in here all day while you walk around doing who knows what. It's boring just waiting for you to return."

His perfectly shaped eyebrow rose up, "Eh?" he shrugged. "Fine, go get ready."

I grabbed some of my clothes from my drawer and changed quickly in the bathroom. I put on shorts and a long sleeved shirt. I tied my hair back in a pony tail and hopped up. I probably looked terrible but I was past caring.

Cato shrugged and crossed the room. "What are you-" I began but before I could say anymore he ripped off his shirt.

He padded over to his closet and began to shift around for an outfit. I sighed and looked away. I thought over last night's events.

Somehow I had to get a note to the girl in the kitchen. Jace would help contact Katniss for me and then I would assist in his escape. If we were caught, without a doubt he would be killed. I probably would be either severely punished or also killed. That meant, I would have to be certain not to grow attached. I didn't think I could bear to lose another person close to me.

I wonder how my mother was.

~0.o~

"_Please." I threw myself forward at the bars again. The metal tore into my skin, the wounds scraped raw. The bars tore flashed red, the flesh red and bleeding. It was smeared across the metal, the bars, and the wall. Everything flashed red with my blood. _

"_Prim." I moaned the name. My arms and side were in tatters, the skin scraped off. It hurt. It hurt badly. What was worse though was the sight of my daughter, carried away. _

_She was just a girl. Only 14, almost 15. Her pale face and blue eyes streaked with tears and fear. The image, replaying again and again in my mind. She always was the strong one. I never wanted to admit it, but she was my lifeline. _

_She was the one who was calm when they took her away to the Doctor. It was always the same guards. This time was different. This time, the guard wore the special issued Capitol uniforms. They carried themselves with Capitol pride and had only one visible purpose. To sever my lifeline. _

_They took her away. They took my baby away. And I did nothing. Nothing. Now, somehow, I felt as if I could somehow bring her back if I shoved hard enough. If I could break the bars with my wounds, my tear streaked face could summon her. _

_ The hallway door opened. The loud squeak caused me to flinch for a moment. I felt alive though, feral. _

_ "Mom." The voice was soft, almost like a child's. _

_ "Prim?" _

_ "Mom."_

_ "Katniss." My other daughter sparked a distant memory. _

_ "Mom, I-"_

_ "Shh, honey, you'll wake up your sister."_

_ "I'm sorry."_

_ "She's going to need a ton of sleep for the Reaping."_

_ "It's Prim."_

_ "Buttercup's with her."_

_ "She's dead."_

_ "She'll be safe."_

_ "Mom…" Katniss' face collapsed into tears. I kept talking, those were just words, they couldn't be true, and they were lies. My Prim wasn't gone; she was in the cell next to me. I opened my mouth to tell her that._

_ "I tried to stop it." And we both cried. _

**Well, that memory was reeeally morbid to write, I'm not going to lie. Um, it's just showing how Katniss really does believe her sister's dead and I really thought Mrs. Everdeen didn't react enough to Prim being taken away in the first scene so this is dedicated to her!**

** Anyways, plllleeeeease R&r! I update quicker with more reviews! Thanks. **


	9. Spark

**R&r! Warning, this chapter needs lots of reviews! Hee hee. **

I followed Cato hesitantly at first, but as my legs began to ache, after going from the training room and back to my room only, I felt a longing to leap, to sprint, to run. I gave a small hop unconsciously. Cato shot me a bemused glance.

Cato picked up his pace slightly and I hurried to his side. I was so focused on reaching it that I didn't pay attention to my feet. I stumbled on a slightly raised rug. I began to fall forward, arms wind milling for a solid hold, finding none.

Strong arms wrapped around my waist, stopping me mid-fall. I breathed out a sigh of relief, Cato had caught me. Instead of letting go though, he pulled me back towards him. His body was really warm, his face so close to mine. I stared into his blue eyes, a much clearer, calmer blue today. For a moment I wondered, just what it would be like if…

"You probably should watch you're footsteps." Cato's voice was tinged with amusement. The corners of his mouth lifted ever so slightly. He seemed content to hold me.

I glared at him, hating the way he seemed so calm. My heart was thudding in my chest and I could feel my face heat up. I immediately threw up my hands, shoving him away, and thankfully he let go of me, saving me from any more embarrassment. "I wouldn't feel like this if you actually had a heart. I have been caged in a prison the past few weeks." I really wasn't that mad, I felt sort of carefree for the moment. Cato's small, barely there smile faded. A scowl crept up on his face. Just like that, our brief moment of friendship was gone.

I curled my fingers into my hand, forming a fist.

Cato turned his head and began to briskly walk. I felt a stab of guilt. He was actually being nice to me and I just went and ruined it. I could've just thanked him for saving me from busting my face in on the ground. Instead, I'd been cruel. Maybe I should learn to control my temper sometimes.

We walked in silence a few more moments; any people we encountered usually would take one look at us and scurry away. Cato's angry face was pretty intimidating.

I finally sped up and stopped directly in front of Cato. I held up a hand. He raised one eye brow questioningly but remained quite.

"I-I'm." I swallowed and tried again. Apologies were not my forte. "I'm sorry for snapping at you." I took another breath. "And thank you for catching me."

The boy smirked, looking like he was waiting for that all along. "I'll always catch you when you fall."

Heat began to creep up my face. I normally was never embarrassed, but this boy flirting with me…well, it was getting me furious. He was just a capital brat, spoiled, knowing nothing about hardships or pain. Or loss.

Cato really knew how to get me mad. Just like I knew how to get him mad. Two dominant personalities put together. That really wasn't a great choice. I scowled back at him. "That was really stupid." I had nothing else to say. The strange word choice had thrown me off and I had no snarky retort to say. I had to settle for something lame.

Cato smirked, knowing he had won this round. Isn't that what this was? A battle of personalities? Who could win? Who was willing to push the other the furthest? Yes. Me. And yes. This new outlook sounded like a challenge. I loved challenges.

Cato really just took me on a tour of the mansion. He was gone once for a meeting. I was chained to a chair, waiting for him to finish. I met every curious stare with a challenging glare. I wasn't a slave, I would never be broken. I never have been.

Not when I was starving in District 12. Not when Katniss volunteered to take my place. Not when she almost died. Not when they took her away from us. Not when we were taken away from her. Not being tortured. Not being dragged here.

I traced a scar on ankle. The raised half-moon seemed to sneer at me and I shivered as I remembered the blade. The torture. The pain. It was like a nightmare, where you scream and know deep down it's only a dream, but no matter how hard you try, you can never wake up. Now, the times in the prison were just horrific memories, shrouded in pain and fear. I never wanted to relieve those moments, but I had prevailed. I was alive and those times had made me stronger because of them.

I shifted and heard something crinkle. It was the note Jace had given me to give to his sister. I peeked to make sure no one was looking and I quickly unfolded it and read it. I smiled softly.

_I knew you'd be curious and read this. I know you're the right person. I've seen it in you ever since you've come here. I know you of all people can help me escape. I trust you. If it's you Prim whose reading this, meet me at the same place tonight at 12. I will tell you everything. If you show up, that means you have what it take, and I wasn't wrong about you. I hope it's you who's reading this. If it's Lavinia, then we must keep searching sister, until we find the right spark. _

_ ~J_

I was almost shocked. Jace knew I would be curious enough to read this. I was simply brimming with questions. What did he mean by the spark? What did he have to tell me? Who is Lavinia? Why am I so important? Who is Jace really? How did he know I was daring enough to read the note?

_I guess I'll find out tonight. _Was I really going to go? Heck yes.

~0.o~

"Again?" Cato seemed pleased as I grudgingly slipping into the bed. I was as far away from him as I could possibly be without falling out of the bed. I growled at him. I really had no explanation I could offer without tipping him off.

_Yes._ I wanted to say. _I plan on sneaking out tonight and I need you to think that I'm actually behaving. _Yeah, that would go over well.

I pretended to ignore him before I sank down tiredly. The difference was massive. The floor was cold, hard, and uncomfortable. The bed was soft, warm, and not uncomfortable. It was like a cloud. I almost drifted off to sleep. Almost. I was buzzing with unanswered questions and I couldn't rest until they were answered.

A few hours later I slipped out of the bed. I checked, double checked, and then triple checked Cato was still asleep. He was.

Picking the door was easy, and soon I was free. I padded down the hall, already having a rough layout of this floor. Down the hall were several unused rooms. Down the other hall was…stuff. I ignored it and headed down the stairs. To the kitchen.

I hid in the shadows, waiting, watching. Only a few minutes passed before a now familiar brown hair green eyed boy stepped into view. He was really cute.

Where the heck did that come from?

"Hey." I called softly, stepping from my hiding spot. Jace saw me and grinned.

"Hey." He stepped over and much to my surprise engulfed me in a hug. "I knew you'd come. She thought you wouldn't." I pulled away from his hug when I realized we weren't alone. A redheaded girl was standing a few feet away.

"Prim." Jace continued, "This is my sister Lavinia. She's an actual Avox." The girl waved. Her eyes shone with sympathy. Jace leaned close and his voice dropped, "She helped your sister out in the Hunger Games."  
The girl nodded again. I gasped. "You were with Katniss." Another nod. I felt immensely grateful. "Thank you."

"That's not why we're here." Jace added quickly. "We decided that since you read the note and came here, you're worthy of knowing. I'm sure you've got tons of questions."

"You could say that."

"We don't have a ton of time, so ask away."

I hesitated, wondering where to begin. "Who are you and Lavinia?" I decided.

Jace smirked. "I'm Jace Thorn. This is my sister." He hesitated and leaned close. "We're rebel spies."

The world seemed to stop for a moment. I gaped at them. "What? How? How long have you been here? What are you doing here? Where do I fit in?" a whole other flood of questions begged to be set free, but I didn't want to overwhelm them TOO badly.

Jace chuckled. "Well, how about I start with a story."

"There once were two Capitol children, Tarius and Yula. They were as happy as could be. But, their parents were odd. They saw problems with this annual T.V. show, even their kids saw it as a cool entertainment, which most people didn't. They thought it was wrong to send children to their deaths. They would tell their kids that every year.

As the kids grew older, they realized how weird their parent were, that the society saw them as outcast. So, the great Capitol Peacekeepers showed up one day and got rid of those two wackos. Everyone was happy.

Except Yula. Her family had planted the seed of doubt in her heart and slowly she convinced her brother everything they've been living is a lie. That their life was far from perfect. They decided the best thing was to run away. They heard of this little rebel camp, ever hear of it? District 13?"

"That place is-"

"Gone right?" Jace hissed bitterly. "No, far from it. The kids left, finding out the rebel camp really did exist, except, they were content to hide in the shadows, waiting for it."

"For what?" I couldn't resist asking.

"The 'spark.' They called it. The person who would lead them. Well, the two children thought it was wrong to just wait there, so they joined the Elite; a group of rebels who spent their time transferring messages from district to district. They did that for a while.

Eventually, they had a job to go to the capitol and deliver a message. The trip there went well, but on the way back." Jace's eyes glazed over fearfully. "The Capitol people knew they were there, they ambushed the sibling. The boy was speared and thought to be killed, the sister made an Avox.

The boy was revived, threatened, tortured, and beaten. The girl forced into slavery. They both learned to never mess with the Capitol. They both became cowards." Jace finished mournfully. He looked embarrassed.

"Why are you telling me this?" I whispered. Jace gave me a sad smile.

"My name used to be Tarius. The capitol killed my family. I'm trapped here."

"Is that why you need me? To help you guys escape?"

"No Prim. We need you for something else. You have something special, something not many people have. And that's spirit. You're not afraid to stand up for yourself. You have heart. You're a fighter. I could see that from the day they dragged you in this place."

"Then why are you telling me all of this?"

"I lied Prim. I don't need help escaping. I can't escape; it's too late for me. But you, my sister and I vow to help you, to get you out of here until our dying breath."

"Why? Why would you die just to help one girl live?"

Jace looked me directly in the eyes. "Because Prim, I think you're the spark."

**Meh, this chapter was a little darker than normal. This might be a ton of information to take in right now, just warning you. But, it will all be explained in later chapters. This was just a vague hint at what's going to happen later. =) Lotsa foreshadowing and stuff. Please R&r! Reviews=Faster update hint hint. **


	10. Plans

**Ok, I'm pretty proud of this chapter guys! Oh, and sorry...I'd give you a huge list of excuses but you probably don't want to hear them. Good news, there is going to be a kiss in this chapter. With whom? I guess you'll have to see. R&r!**

**THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN REVISED  
**

"Me?" My jaw dropped in shock. I stared at the brown-haired boy and his fiery red-haired sister. In the faint moonlight, they both looked deathly serious. I took a step back nervously. "I'm not a spark." I protested. "I don't even know what to do."

"We'd help you of course." Jace reassured. "You wouldn't be doing this alone."

"What do you know?" I glared. "I thought you didn't stick around in District 13 very long."

Jace shook his head. "We lived there for two years." He ran a hand through his hair. "We spent four months there before we realized sitting around and doing nothing wasn't helping. So, that's when we joined the Elite. That's what our parent's would've wanted. We worked with the Elite, going back and forth from District 13 for the next year and a half. That's when we were attacked and brought back to the Capitol."

"How old were you when you're parents were killed?"

"I was 11." Jace whispered. "Lavina was 10."

I gaped at both of them. "You've were at District 13 for two years, then here for four years?" Such a young age for them to have to grow up.

"We've been trying to do as much as we can, but all we can do is pass messages really. But now, we can inform them about you. With their help, we can get you out of here. It all depends on the Ball in one month."

"What's so important about that?"

"It's the best time to leave. Everyone will be distracted. It's the perfect window to get you out of here."

I jerked my head up. "I thought you said Katniss was going to be there. Will I be able to see her?"

"For a few minutes only. Then, we need to leave." a small flutter shot through my stomach. I would see my sister! Alright, this seemed easy enough. Be the spark. Be free. Leave this awful place forever. Simple enough.

"Only one month away?"

"Yes. I know it's short. We'll meet up every other night for lessons, except, if you can't get away." Jace handed me a tiny piece of paper he pulled from his pocket. It was a light blue with burnt edges. Most people would just pass it up, but now it had a purpose. "Place that outside your door when circumstances prevent you from leaving the room. Until then, we are going to have to work as hard as we can on shaping you up. Continue training hard with Cato." He nodded briskly. "We'll tell you other useful skills you'll need."

I lowered my head slightly. "Why me?"

Jace put a hand on my shoulder. "Because you have what many of us have lacked. Courage. District 13 are all cowards." He gave a humorless chuckle, "They would never start the war on their own. They need someone to start that. You wouldn't have to do much."

"Just start an entire war." I muttered. "Is that really the best option?"

"District 13... in fact everyone, is suffering. The Capitol rules with an iron fist over Panem. We live in fear. We are held prisoners by that fear. You want to know something? The only thing stronger than fear is hope. We need that hope. The people need something to hope for. They need a spark, Prim."

I smirked. "Wow, Jace, maybe you should be the spark. You're really inspirational."

Much to my surprise, he turned around and punched the air violently. "Darn it, Prim, you don't understand." He hissed. Loudly. "This is something bigger, bigger than all of us. You might not have a choice. If you refuse to help rally the people together, people are going to die. Good people. It might as well be people you care about. Katniss. Gale. Your mom." He paused his outburst, taking a deep breath. A bead of sweat dripped down the side of his face.

I had backed up a few more steps, shocked by his speech. Even Lavina looked startled. Jace took another deep breath, his face softening. "I'm sorry but this is the truth."

I nodded. "Ok. I'll do it.

I'll become your spark."

Jace broke into a huge grin and swept me up into a hug. I let out a squeak of surprise. "I could kiss your right now." He laughed.

I jerked away from his grasp so fast, like he had burned me. I kept my face emotionless. "I better go. We've been making enough noise to wake up the household."

Jace smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, right. See you in two days."

I padded back to my room/prison. I could still feel the warmth of Jace's arms around me. He had a nice smell, like cinnamon. I pushed those thoughts from my head. _Focus Prim. You don't have time for any romance. _

~0o0~

The next three weeks were a blur. It alternated between training with Cato and working with Jace. I actually began to enjoy our meetings. We would talk for hours. Jace would tell me all about District 13, but after awhile, he would also tell me about his past life. What he did and stuff. I even opened up slightly, telling him about my life. I never mentioned the prison though. Or anything about the doctor.

I was actually having fun for once. It was so easy to just let go. Laugh a little. I haven't laughed in..since the prison. Sometimes Lavina was there, other times she wasn't.

"She sometimes chooses to just sleep in. she can't talk to us and she 'told' me it makes her feel useless." Jace explained.

"She's not useless." I assured him.

"Anyway, I've notified our contact, we can work something out for the Ball. If we fail, we'll have to wait another month before the next window."

"What's that?" Jace and I were both laying on the ground, on our stomachs. My head was touching his shoulder and his head was touching mine. His bright eyes sparkled.

"That's the next ball. They have one every month. The Snow manor is famous for their extravagant parties. Everyone shows up. That's when everyone's focus is solely on the dance. It's the perfect window to get you out of here."

"Don't you want to leave too?" I blurted out.

I could feel Jace stiffen. "I mean, it can't be fun here. You must long for home." _Smooth, Prim, real smooth. _

Jace let out a deep breath. "My home was the Capitol. Technically, I am home." That wasn't the answer I was hoping for, but I decided to let it slide.

"Don't you want to go back to District 13? Where you don't have to live in constant fear that someday, they will find out your a rebel?"

"If I did. I would've never met you." Jace propped himself up on his elbows. His blue eyes were serious. "I like talking to you."

I smiled. "It's nice."

...

And slowly, Jace had broken down my walls I had thrown up. It wasn't an easy task. It took him a lot of time, but he was patient. Was it love? Eh, I don't think so. It was more of, very close friends. Best friends. I could tell him everything. Well, almost everything. He was trustworthy. He understood me. He had lost everything too. We both were in the same situation.

And the closer I got to Jace. The more I drifted away from Cato. He seemed to be getting frustrated. During the day, my thoughts were always on what was going to happen tonight. What I would learn. What we would talk about. His blue eyes. His light brown hair. His smell of cinnamon.

"Prim." Cato's yell jerked me out of my train of thoughts. I looked up to meet his gaze. His blue eyes were stormy blue with flecks of black today. He let out a growl and ran a hand through his hair. "Why?" He snapped.

I pretended to play innocent. "Why what?"

"Don't play dumb." He hissed. He sighed again and sat down in a chair. We were in his room right now. I was sprawled across his couch and he was pacing the room. Until he sat down. "I know you're sneaking out every night." Cato turned to glare at me. "You think I'm an idiot? I'm a very," he leaned closer, "very light sleeper. I've known since the beginning." My stomach gave a lurch and I tried to cover up my sudden fear.

I twisted until I was in a sitting position. "I haven't been doing anything wrong." _except maybe secretly plotting your downfall. _

"The question is..." Cato tapped his chin, "who are you meeting? And why?" This was bad. This was really bad. I thought Cato had no idea I was sneaking out at night.

"I-I..." For once, I was at a loss for words. "It doesn't matter." I lifted my chin up.

"I don't care too much," He paused, as if he were rethinking his word choice. He shook his head, "but it needs to stop. If you leave again. I will be forced to take certain...measures." He gave me a chilling smile. Uh oh. What sort of punishments could Cato come up with? Knowing him, a lot of very scary ones.

I nodded slowly. Inside my thoughts were racing. _I have to tell Jace to be careful. Do I still have the paper? There's only a week until the Ball. I need to know the rest of the information. I have to meet up with him. I have to leave. One more week. Only another week. I can do this. I just have to tell Jace, he needs to be warned. Tonight maybe? No, it's too soon. Maybe...I don't know!  
_

"And there's something else." Cato smirked and padded over to his closet. He pulled something out of it and held it behind his back. "There's a ball in a few days and..." He produces a bundle of primroses from his back. "I was wondering if you'd like to accompany me?" much to my surprise, he seemed faintly nervous. His cheeks had the faintest hint of...was that red? I had to choke back laughter. Cato Snow, son of President Snow, the second most powerful guy in the mansion, was nervous?

"Purely for benefit." Cato continued smoothly. "I do not wish to take any of those obsessive fan girls that live here and you really don't know anyone." He shot me a glare, "Nor do you have a choice."_ I know Jace. _But it wasn't like I could go with him.

I put on my best fake smile. "Are you serious? I get to go to the ball with Cato Snow? The President's son? And I don't even have a choice?" I giggled. "I'd love too." my face became emotionless. "Thanks." I grabbed the flowers and chucked them into the trash.

Cato nodded, totally ignoring the fact I had just thrown a tantrum. "We can pick out your dress tomorrow." he smirked, turning the tables.

"I don't want to wear a dress." I snapped back at him. _Actually, that might complicate things. Could it? That's why I need Jace. He can tell me whether this is a good idea of not. _

_ Don't become dependent on him. _I silently warned myself. My oppressor just got up and went into his bathroom. I could hear the sound of running water.

"I also don't dance." I whispered softly at the closed door.

...

I put the paper outside the door that night.

And the next.

And the next.

Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. I was certain Cato figured I had given up whatever I was doing. But I had to go. The Ball was four days away and I had no idea what the plan was. If there was any. Plus I had to warn Jace. Any punishment Cato gave me I could take. I really wasn't worried about that. So, I could barely contain my impatience that night. It took all of my self-control not to leap up and leave now.

I felt like Cato could sense I was leaving. I knew it was just my imagination, but everything he did seemed to take hours. Finally, he slipped into the bed. I moved to the furthest corner. He turned over to face me. Well, I figured he did because I could hear him shifting over.

"Night Rosie."

I didn't turn to face him and I pretended to be asleep. "I hate you." I closed my eyes and heard him chuckle. A few minutes later, I could hear his breathing deepen, symbolizing that he was finally asleep. I waited patiently a few more hours until it was time. Then, I slipped out._ Finally. _

~0o0~

"Prim!"Jace was waiting in the shadows, his face worried. It caused my heart to pick up its beat a little bit. But it was from the running. Of course. He hurried forward and engulfed me in a hug. "I thought something bad happened." For once, I actually hugged back. Lavina wasn't here this time either.

"Sorry, I'm here to stay." we pulled away and settled down in our usual lying down spot. "You won't get rid of me that easily."

"I have good news." My blue eyed friend grinned. "We have finished our plan and all we need is the Ball to start." He paused. "Are you going with anyone?"

I felt my smile fade. "Yeah. I'm going with Cato."

"Oh." Jace sounded defeated. "That might work to our advantage maybe."

"Are you going too?"

"Yep. I'll be serving."

"That's cool."

"Yeah. Katniss will be there, escorted by Haymitch. I can get you a five minute window alone with her. Then, we need to get you away from Cato."

"That might be a little hard." I muttered bitterly.

"Not if he'll let me dance with you." I chuckled and looked away.

We fell into comfortable silence. Jace slipped his hand into mine. I almost jerked it away but then decided against it.

"Prim?"

"Mm?"

"Where did you get that?" He got into a sitting position.

"What?" Jace didn't speak. He reached over and lifted up my shirt ever so slightly.

"That." He whispered. I followed his gaze down to the raise half-moon scar on my stomach. I jerked my shirt back down.

"Nowhere." I scooted a few feet away.

"Prim don't play dumb. I've seen the scar on your arm too. What happened? What happened before you ended up here." Jace followed me, sitting down so we were side by side.

I felt tears well up as visions of the prison flashed through my mind. "I went to a prison. My mom and I. We were put there because Katniss was a desired after Tribute. People wanted her. So, to make sure she obeyed and became, you know, they threw us in the prison. Whenever Katniss would refuse a customer, she was brought to the prison, where this man, his name was Doctor Wulf, would...he-he'd torture me. Right in front of my sister." Jace's hand tightened over my own. He took a deep breath, looking furious.

I continued. "I have a lot of scars. They all look like this." I showed him the one on my wrist. "It went on the whole time I was in prison." My voice grew bitter and cold. "A scar for every time my sister refused a customer. I told her to refuse them though. She visited us, like once a month or something. I would tell her to never give us." A single tear rolled down my eye and stopped on my lip. Jace stared at it.

"Can I show you something?"

"Sure." I wondered what it was. Jace pulled his shirt up, revealing a huge gaping scar. It was massive, stretching from one side of his stomach to the other. It looked like it had healed a long time ago, but it was still...there. It was pink, the edges raised. It looked like no one had ever let it heal properly.

"Is it painful?" I whispered. Jace shook his head.

"It was when I was shot by the cable. It almost killed me. Sometimes I wish it had." Jace whispered bitterly.

"Jace..." I murmured, feeling awful. Here I was, hating the world, when Jace had lost everything, almost adding his life to the mix. His Capitol life, his parents, his freedom...

Jace turned back to face me.

I shield away slightly as Jace leaned towards me. Then I locked eyes with him. I let him lean forward again. Our faces inches apart. His blue eyes were soft.

"Close your eyes." He whispered. I did, closing them tightly. I could feel his warm breath against my face. Then, he kissed me. It was soft. Feather light, he just barely brushed his lips against mine. It was sweet and gentle and-

"How touching." a cold voice cut through my thoughts. We broke away, and my light blue eyes met Cato's blazing blue ones.

**Meh, I've never actually described a kiss before, so that's what I got. Sorry if it's bad. Sorry for the wait too! I'll try not to let that happen again! Please R&r!**


	11. Being Human

**Sorry guys for the long wait, sometimes I have a life...=) I made this one extra special since it may be a few weeks before I can update again. R&r!**

I threw myself forward desperately again. "Cato!" I shouted, the fear and desperation dripping in every letter I spoke.

The chain around my foot stretched taunt again, snapping me backwards. The cold metal bit into my skin; already red and raw from hurtling myself forward. The skin was the only thing budging and I was still very stuck.

I threw myself to the ground, refusing to cry. I reached over and began to vicious yank the chain around my leg, cursing it in my mind.

I was currently tied up by my foot in Cato's room. After he had found Jace and I, he had me brought up here and chained by four huge guards while he took care of Jace.

It must have been at least an hour ago, but every detail was forever burned in my memory.

~0o0~

"Well isn't this just touching." The cold fury was dripping in Cato's voice. Several bright lights flared up, making it hard to see. I squinted, trying to see anything, but the glare was too bright.

I focused on Cato's face, trying to gauge his emotions. His face was slightly red, maybe from barely contained rage. His eyes were a darker blue than I had ever seen before, swimming with an unidentifiable emotion. They looked almost black.

Cato's hands were curled up into fists and he look so high strung, as if the slightest movement would set him off. My diagnosis: He was furious.

As my eye grew used to the blinding light, I realized they were soldiers. About four. This was bad. Really bad.

It was a stand off; Cato's last words hung in the air like an invisible rope; separating us.

Jace cleared his throat and took a tiny inhale. I realized he was going to speak and my heart gave a violent jolt. Cato looked ready to explode right now, and speaking, no matter what he had to say, was a bad idea.

"I-" He got no further. Cato took two strides up to Jace before I could blink. The next moment he was swinging his fist upward, in a fast arc with enough force to whistle through the air. He looked like he was moving in slow motion, hand swinging lazily before gracefully striking Jace in the side of the face. It knocked the smaller boy back several feet; where Jace crouched uncertainly.

Jace wasn't a scrawny kid. He was about six feet, not buff but not weak either. Lightly muscled. Cato was six four and was covered in muscle. He had a lean sinewy body that was a built weapon. He had been born a fighter.

He train almost every day and it clearly showed. When he wasn't joking, he could seriously hurt.

He was...being careful though. I'd been in enough training sessions with him to observe that. Right before his fist struck Jace, he pulled his hand back. It wasn't a ton, but it definitely lessened the blow. I don't think Jace really noticed and appreciated it, but it gave me a flicker of something. I wasn't quite sure what it was. Admiration maybe? This was the first time I'd ever seen him do something like that. Act almost human. Or maybe I was imagining the whole thing.

Cato towered over Jace, all emotion gone from his face. Seriously. The only flicker was in his eyes, which were still the eerily dark burning blue. The rest of his face was a blank slate, giving no hint of his real feeling. Like the punch released all of it.

The guards remained still the whole time, silent observers.

"Cato." I spoke for the first time, taking two uncertain steps toward him. Yeah, I was nervous. I just got caught doing something that can be punishable by death I was assuming. With only a week until I could have escaped. This was really bad.

Cato turned to face me, his stony face devoid of emotion. His eyes flashed again, the same unrecognizable emotion flitting through them. It was gone before I could gauge it.

His gaze slid back over me, silencing any further words. His eye focused on something, or should I saw someone, behind me. "Take her back to my room and chain her up." Cato stared me down, the threat evident in his voice, aimed directly at me. "I'll deal with the girl later." He then turned to Jace, who still looked stunned from the earlier blow. Jace's head was sagging slightly and his eyes were half lidded.

"I'll personally see to him." His voice was more snarl that words, the anger returning back to his face in a flood. He stalked forward, grabbing Jace around the neck. Cato's arms closed around his collar and my friend was being dragged backward roughly. Jace and I locked gazes, mine frantic, and his surreal and calm. He nodded once before the darkness swallowed the two boys up.

Two beefy hands closed around my arms, locking them to my side. Another set brushed the torchlight in my face. I blinked slowly, the sudden flood of light helping me to clear my thoughts. Wait...Jace. Jace was leaving. Cato was taking Jace away!

"Jace!" I shouted, struggling again my captor. He wasn't budging. I tried to remember what Cato taught me about self-defense. I shot an elbow out, catching my guard by surprise. He let out a grunt as the tip connected with his nose. I swung my arm up again and he instinctively tried to block it. He let go of my arm for a second and I was off; sprinting from them as fast as I could.

"Prim." Jace called back, but his voice sounded bleary and was tinged with warning. He was warning me from trying to help him. His voice gave me a pause. Did I really care? I lunged forward again, fully intent on pursing my friend. I was caught mid-leap by one of the guards. He wrapped my arms around my body, preventing my from struggling.

"Let's not do that again 'k?"

I snarled at him. The trek back to Cato's room was dead silent, giving me an eerie sense of familiarity. Just like when I was first brought here. The guards chained me by my foot and left me alone with a final warning.

"Don't bother escaping." The one with the red nose from my attack snarled cruelly. "We'll be guarding the door."

~0o0~

Now we're all caught up to date right? Good.

I was jingling my chains halfheartedly. I had given up trying to break them off the wall. It was too nailed in. Ever second Cato was gone I grew more agitated.

Hours later, I awoke to the door opening. I hadn't realized I had fallen asleep and my face flamed up. Well, I guess it had been a rough night.

Cato walked in, looking attractively disheveled. I didn't mean it like I thought that, I just was jealous that he still looked handsome after staying up all night. Life wasn't fair.

I scrambled to my feet, wincing when I stood. While I was asleep, the chain had finished what I started, cutting through the final layer of skin. There was a cut oozing blood in a circle on my ankle. I rested on one leg, tucking the other beneath me.

Cato ran a hand through his hair. He opened his mouth and then closed it. He looked almost awkward standing there.

Well, the feeling was mutual. I may have just crossed the line. I was in a field of landmines without a map. One wrong step and I was dead.

"I'm sorry?" I whispered, almost hoping he wouldn't hear, unsure of his reaction.

Cato glanced up, aloof and cold. "Are you? Do you really feel regret sneaking out all night and snuggling up with that boy?"

I lowered my head, debating what to say. I could lie but he'd obviously notice or I could tell the truth and risk an explosion. Cato looked at me expectantly. Landmine it was.

"No." I wanted to say more, but anything else I said would give away the rebels.

Cato took a deep breath. "Honestly, I never expected you would be sneaking out, risking your life for a boy." He sounded almost mocking.

I shook my head. "Me neither." We both lapsed into silence for a moment. "What about Jace?" I looked at Cato worriedly.

He sucked in his cheeks. "In the prisons."

"What will happen to him?"

"The owner of the slave had a major voice in what happens when the slave is disobedient. His owner will decided." Cato recited almost monotonously.

"President Snow." I whispered. Then I jerked upright, wincing when my leg rubbed against the shackle. "Your dad."

"Yeah." I felt like an idiot. Whatever the president could dream of to punish Jace. Oh no.

"Is there anything we can do to help?"

It was the wrong thing to say. Cato's gaze turned sharp; his mouth turned down in an cruel scowl.

"We? You were both breaking the rules. I decide how you'll be punished and my father will punish Jace as he sees fit. You're lucky I didn't throw you in the prison too." He hissed bitterly.

I jerked my chin out, feeling ruffled. "That's not true."

Cato looked stunned. I had shocked him by speaking back after all of this. "What?"

I pressed forward, hoping I wasn't about to sign my death wish. "I saw you. Before you hit Jace, you hesitated. Your blow would've done serious damage, but you hesitated, it wasn't huge, but it helped Jace. There is some human in you."

Cato was silent for several seconds as we stared each other down. He growled. "No. Yes, I'm human, but it didn't hesitated to protect him. Even if I did, there's nothing I could do. It's my father's choice with how to punish Jace."

I took two steps forward, wincing when the chain rubbed my leg. "You can tell your father to go easy on him. This was all my fault anyways."

He snorted. "You both were at fault. There's nothing I could do."

"Somewhere deep down, I'm not sure how deep, there's a human being. Can't you just see that we're just two people who made a stupid mistake?"

Cato's face grew red with rage. "A stupid mistake? You messed up. Badly. You-" His voice had risen to a shout, but it cut off at a knock at the door.

I shrank back at his anger. I was provoking him yes, but honestly, I was trying to get my point across. I really didn't care if he exploded on me, but I was trying to plant the seed of doubt in Cato's mind.

If I could convince him he was a normal human, not always the arrogant capitol boy, he might help Jace.

I had zero influence over President Snow, but his had a lot. If Cato talked to him, Jace had a larger chance of surviving this.

Cato stopped yelling and padded towards the door, face carefully masked. He opened it up to see a nervous capitol attendant bobbing his head.

"Your father wishes to see you." He stuttered nervously. I wouldn't blame him, Cato looked terrifying.

Cato turned back to me. "Stay here." He warned. His gaze flickered down to my foot. "I'll take care of that when I return."

"Don't forget, Cato." I said softly.

Cato held my gaze for a moment before exiting the room.

**ooo Major shocker right? Haha, next chapter is going to be epic. It'll have a major twist and please R&r!**


	12. Punishment

**Fair warning...well I can't really give anything away because it would spoil my ending. Trust me, this chapter was worth the wait. But, you most likely will hate me by the end of it...This does go into the T rating...for sure. I was going to make this two parts, but it's almost 4,000 words! Wow, I just thought you deserved it after such a long wait. **

** If I get 20 reviews for this chapter, without a doubt, I will update within 2 weeks. Scouts honor**

** Please R&r!**

** Don't hate me...**

Cato was gone for hours. When he returned, he seemed...strangely happy. He was whistling and carrying a small box. He padded lightly over to me and held up the box. I saw a red cross on the outside.

"For your leg." He bent down and gently unshackled my foot. I couldn't hold back the sigh of relief as the metal device quit rubbing against my steadily oozing blood foot.

Cato didn't talk as he busily set to work. First, he cleaned the wound with a damp rag. I observed him quietly, not sure how to approach the subject.

"Cato." I murmured softly. He didn't look up from his work. I sighed. "How'd you learn to do that?"

"Do what?" He muttered gruffly.

"Heal." I said the words with surprise, actually thinking it over. Cato; the brave and fearless warrior, was cleaning MY wounds? With a gentle touch too?

Cato shrugged, looking like he'd rather swallow fire than answer. I looked away. _He puts on such a tough shell, but inside, he's actually not that bad. Wait...did I just say that? _

I realized that I actually believed my statement. Cato wasn't that bad of a person. Sure, he seemed pretty awful at first, but once you got to know him, he really wasn't that ferocious at all.

"My mom was the mansion doctor." He mumbled. I looked over at him, not even expecting an answer. "She used to let me watch her work and I picked up a lot of stuff. She once tried to save the captain of the guards. He had gotten injured in a fight and was badly bleeding. My mom couldn't stop the bleeding." Cato's eyes grew distant.

"My father had her beaten and banished. She starved out in the wilderness. Now, there's a new doctor."

He grew silent, lapsing back into his own memories. I felt awful for him. At least I still had my mom. His father was more of a president than father figure, and his mother was dead. He was alone. I had, well used to have, Katniss at least.

"He was drunk." Cato continued speaking. This time, I had a feeling it wasn't just to make conversation. It wasn't like I could tell anyone what he told me anyways. He was speaking with his heart, letting go of some of his bitterness.

"Huh?" I winced as Cato poured cleaning solution on my wound.

"He was drunk when he did it." Cato repeated bitterly. "He was furious at her because that man was his best friend. She tried her hardest, she really did, but the wounds were too deep and he already had lost so much blood. My father exiled her because he didn't want to appear weak in front of the rest of the officers and stuff."

Cato pulled out a needle and thread. He rubbed something on and around the wound. I recognized it, we couldn't afford it at home because it was too expensive, but it was numbing solution. He had to sew my wound closed and I wouldn't feel a thing thanks to his fancy Capitol medicine.

"I'm sorry." I awkwardly raised a hand and rested it on Cato's shoulders.

His blue eyes bore deep holes into mine. All his anger was gone. "Sometimes, when he gets drunk, he tries to justify it. 'she purposely killed him.' He would tell me. 'He knew that something was up with her.' 'She was plotting to kill me." Cato sinks his head back down and continues working.

"And sometimes, I wonder if he did the right thing." I look up at him in surprise. _Why the heck is Cato telling me all of this stuff? How did his meeting with his father go? _

"Imagine this, you are the president of all of Panem. You hear there's a plot to kill you and your wife might be involved. What would you do?"

I don't respond right away, tilting my head slightly. "Isn't love more important. What if the reason they want you dead is because you have become the exact image of what you never wanted to become."

I sigh, not sure where I got that answer from. It made sense though, I could see it now, two young people falling in love, the one watching as the other one slowly turns into the power-hungry ruler all of the others have become. It would kill me if I loved a man like that. It would pain me so badly, I'd do what was right. Take them out.

Cato shook his head. "No, any sign of weakness and the sharks move in. You'll be executed, along with your wife, immediately."

"Why are you defending him?!" I shouted, knocking his hand away. His stitching is basically done, all he has to do is tie it.

Cato looks startled. I breath in deeply, wanting to knock some sense into the coal brain. "You talk about how you hate him for that, but now you turn around and say he did the right thing."

The blue eyed boy squares his shoulder and begins to finish his work. He carefully finishes the last stitch, stepping back and putting all his stuff away.

"Because. He's all I have left." He turns and walks away. I don't hesitate to follow him. He stops just before he reaches the door, hand on the knob.

"There are people that care about you, you just have to let them in." I whisper. He can hear me, I know he can. The tilt of his head indicates it. He sighs again and turns around to face me, arrogant smirk gone. He looks...lost. His blue eyes are unguarded, open and full of frustration and...worry.

"You should follow your advice." He is less than a foot away now, arms loosely tucked at his side. He sudden smirks again, lazier and less arrogant. Cato's arms wrap around me and pull me forward.

Cato presses his lips against mine. It's only for a second, because I figure out what he's doing and pull away. Our lips just barely brush up against each other, but it's enough to send a flame shooting through my body.

Shamefully, in the second after, I almost kiss him again. It was really an instinctive reaction, but I have to use a ton of willpower to suppress it.

_Wow. _

Cato's face is completely blank, eyes guarded again and trademark smirk firmly plastered on his lips.

I feel my face begin to flame up, hating the way he can mask his face so easily. "Can't you at least pretend to be guilty?" I shout, shoving him as hard as I can in the chest. He doesn't even flinch, which infuriates me more.

Instead, I think I see his smirk grow even bigger.

"There's a meeting tonight, I'll be around to pick you up in a few hours." With that, he opens the door and slips out.

"Argh!" I shout as soon as he's gone. I scrub my hands furiously across my lips, trying to ignore the fact that that was the best kiss I'd even gotten. Yeah, I have had a few kisses in my life, guys. Please.

Jace's kiss had been nice, but it had been gentle and slow. Cato's had lasted a second and made me want another. That was bad. That was really bad.

_Speaking of Jace...I wondered how he's been. Where did they take him? Is he still alive. Cato said he was, but you never know. _

Thinking of seeing Jace made me smile. I just had to see him. He was working hard to save my life and I needed to know about escaping during the ball. And seeing Katniss. _Cato did say I had a couple hours..._maybe I could go search for my friend quickly and be back in time for...whatever he needed me for tonight.

Plan in mind, I easily unlocked the door and set off on a search for Jace.

I found in surprisingly short time. I just went down every flight of stairs I could find. I was in a semi-lit room with Jace chained in the middle. I didn't know how big it was because the edges stretched out into darkness.

"Jace!" I can't help myself. I rush forward and throw my arms around my friend. He hesitates a second before returning the embrace.

"I-I have so many questions to ask you. I've missed you. Are you ok? What happened after-"

"You should not be here." The voice rasping in my ear sounds tired. Exhausted. Defeated.

I pull away, getting a good look at him for the first time. It has only been a day, but already the back of his head is covered with blood. His once brown hair is now matted and clumped. It looked like someone had punched him a few times there.

He has one black eye and a swollen lip. There's a cut on his cheek, trickling a trail of blood down his chin and neck. The rest of his body pretty much looks the same.

I gasp. "What happened?!"

Jace spits out some blood and manages a weak smile. "I guess I wasn't supposed to fight back. I let out a surprised laugh, trying to relieve some of the tension.

"Seriously?"

He nods.

I rest my head on his shoulder. "I'm glad Cato didn't hurt you." Jace whispers in my ear. He strokes my hair. "At least someone in this mansion has a heart."

"I need to get you out of here." I whisper urgently. I start to struggle at the chain on his foot. "Snow will kill you!"

"Prim." Jace's voice is soft, yet firm. "Go away."

"I think I can get this loose." I give it another yank.

"Please, go."

"We are going to get through this." I search for something sharp to pick the lock.

"Prim! I have to try and save you. Please leave. Escape."

"What do you want me to do?! Leave you?" I shout back at him. I won't leave him. Now I understood something. "It was supposed to be you who was to escape at the Ball, wasn't it?" I couldn't believe I had been so stupid. "Yet, you decided to stay and convinced me to leave. Why?"

Jace sighed. "I first saw you during the Hunger Games." I glanced at him in surprise. "When they did the family interviews." I stared intently at him. "I always thought you were beautiful. Now, up close, I guess I was right." I can't help but blush slightly. Nobody had every called me that. Except my daddy.

"Then, I heard that Cato was receiving another...captive." _Wait...another? Was there more before me? _I must've heard him wrong. "When I heard it was you, I was overjoyed. I thought, 'that girl, she'll never give up. She's the sister of Katniss!' Then, when I met you, you were more than I could've hoped for. And I realized, I wanted you to live.

I decided to give up my spot so you could go to District 13. You were meant to be the spark." He held up a hand, "Please don't yell at me, it was my final wish as a rebel to allow you to escape. And...I wanted to get to know you. That's why I had those training sessions."

I let out a chuckle, "So all the stuff you taught me was worthless?"

"No, it was mainly to help you, but also to get to know you." He closed his eyes. "Now that I've told you, can you please go?"

I took his hand. I still had a few more hours. "Not yet. I don't think I want to leave yet." I shook my head. "And to think...well, I still have questions...about the Ball."

Jace nodded, "I'm way ahead of you. I'll let you know in a few days."

"What if they kill you?" I whispered suddenly, feeling urgent. "What if I leave and they kill you?"

"It'll be worth it." His green eyes hardened with determination. I had no doubt in his words. I took his hand.

"I don't want to leave, knowing you're here in this awful room."

Jace began to push me. "Alright, now, you need to leave. NOW." I stood up obediently.

We embraced and I began to walk away. I opened the door, staring back at Jace, feeling bad for leaving him, and walked right into Cato.

….**Cliffhanger!**

**Jk, I'm joking, I'm going to finish this chapter with much more...pizzazzle! You are going to hate me...**

…

"No, I think you should stay." He hissed, his voice cold. It sounded just like the last time he had found Jace and I. His good mood was gone. Cato glared down at me, the slightest hint of maniac creeping into his eyes.

"We were just getting to the good part." He walked forward and flipped on a light switch I hadn't noticed before. The room was filled with much more light. I realized that the room was way bigger than I had thought it was. In fact, it was like a stadium sort of.

When the light switch came on, people began filing in on both sides. It was like a move theater setting. The seats were raised up from the arena, which was a circular pit that could be easily viewed from any of the seats. And of course, shackled in the middle. Was Jace.

It looked like every resident in the mansion was here. I saw a raised platform with a mike on the opposite side of the arena. Cato grabbed me by the arm, yanking so hard it brought tears to my eyes. I winced and had to jog to keep up with his fast pace.

I was placed on the side of the stage, facing the entire audience. There was a dull roaring, as most of the people here were Capitolians lusting for blood.

"Do. Not. Move." Cato hissed, eyes daring me to take a single step in either direction. I nodded nervously. _This looks worse than anything Cato has ever done to me. I...I don't know if we can survive this. _

President Snow came out of another door behind us. He was wearing a freshly pressed golden suit with a red rose pinned to his lapel. A hush fell over the arena as he stepped up to the mike.

"This house isn't a house of tolerance. This house is a house of discipline." He began, voice sounding both quite and humble and loud and deadly.

"When people break rules, we are reverted back to the dark ages." a hiss filled the audience. "Which is why, from the youngest of babes to the oldest of the elderly." He fixed his snake eye stare at me. "To the meekest of slaves to the lord of the manor, we must follow the rules, if not for ourselves, but for the good of the nation." He had to pause as a deafening applause sounded throughout the arena.

"Today, two slaves, Primrose Everdeen, and Jace Everlark, have been found breaking the rules. They were meeting and plotting out demise!" A roar of anger rumbled amidst the people. Snow had a chilling look of almost sadistic glee on his face.

"And, as per tradition, it is up to the owner of the slave to decide the punishment." He gestured to Cato. "My son, Cato Snow, will now announce the punishment he has chosen for our darling, Primrose."

Cato stood, eyes steely as he walked to the mike. He didn't hesitate, speaking as if he had been practicing a speech over and over.

"Branding." His voice was cold and emotionless. It was met with a roar of approval.

_Branding? What the heck is branding? Like...cattle branding? No! _I wondered briefly if I could make it to the doors on the wall and get away before they caught me. Doubted it.

Two men came forward, lugging something heavy between them. It was a fire, inside a cauldron or something. A piece of iron was sticking out of it, waiting to be pressed against my flesh. Another bucket was brought over, a bucket of cold water.

Fear sunk its claws into my heart. I had never faced something like this before. I could handle most of the things thrown my way, but a metal hot branding iron searing my flesh off? I couldn't do that.

Cato stepped forward and picked up the metal. It was in the shape of his initials, this time not just a tattoo. The two men that had lugged the cauldron over grabbed me. I was tossed onto the stage and stretched out. I could feel one guy grab my arms and pin them, and the other grab my legs. I was on my stomach, feeling very vulnerable.

I couldn't even move, the men had such a firm hold on my limbs. One of them lifted up my shirt slightly, exposing my back. I head the hiss as Cato dipped the rod in the water for barely a second and then he pressed the still burning iron into my lower back.

At first, the cold water was on my skin. That lasted only a second before the pain started. I couldn't help it, I let out a scream of pain. The metal was searing into my skin, inflaming everything, the heat was so intense and it felt like someone had set me on fire.

I began to thrash, my coherency gone, I just wanted the pain to go away. It was only a few second, but hands down, never have I felt such pain. The pain began to subdue, only slightly though. I could still feel every curve of the metal, every inch of it etched permanently into my skin.

I lay there, collapsed on the ground. The men had let go of my limbs, but I had felt spent. My skin was on fire, and I had not will to move. I don't think I ever could. Cato had his back towards me and at that moment, I don't think I've ever held such hate for someone.

Snow was up at the mike. He had his grotesque smile on his face, enjoying every minute of my suffering.

"Wasn't that exciting? Watch and learn what shall happen if you every dare to become...a rule breaker. Now, I get the honors of choosing my slaves punishment. At first, I wasn't sure what to do, but actually, my son, Cato gave me the idea. And since he gave me the idea, he gets to do the honors!"

From my spot on the ground, I had a perfect view of Cato's back. I saw him stiffen when Snow said those words, his hands clenched ever so slightly. It was almost immediately gone, but whatever was going to happen, it was going to be bad.

"Cato and Jace are going to fight to the death!"

_No..._

**~.~.~!**

** Cue dramatic ending...Jk again! I'm going to see this though to the end!**

** ~.~.~.~**

Jace was cut free, a rack of weapons brought out. He immediately went for the spear. He weighed it carefully testing the balance. He then chose a few daggers and tucked them in his belt. From here I could see the beads of sweat on his face.

Cato selected a sword.

Cato's face was completely shut off. He had taken off his shirt for the battle. I knew without a doubt who would win. I'd seen Cato fight plenty of times to know what will happen. Also, Jace was already badly wounded. I just prayed he would show some mercy in the end and spare Jace's life.

Maybe he would...

Ding! A bell sounded and the two guys circled each other warily. Cato raised his sword and charged. It was a stupid move, Cato was way better than that! Jace saw it coming from a mile away and easily dodged.

The crowd roared.

Cato turned around and swung his sword in a lazy arc. Jace managed to barely roll out of the way. He thrust his spear up, trying to catch Cato off guard. The much larger boy easily parried it and knocked the spear away.

Jace scrambled to his feet and began to back away. I saw what he was doing. If he could get enough distance between him and Cato, he could just throw his spear and..._and what? Kill him. That's what you want right? He hurt you, you should want him dead. _

Why was I against that then? He was like a lost soul, he just needed guidance. There was some good left in him, I know it. I winced as I had accidentally moved and a sharp, jarring pain sliced down my side.

I most certainly didn't want Jace dead either. Jace wouldn't kill Cato, I knew that. And somewhere, deep down, Cato had a conscious, and that conscious would tell him not to kill Jace.

Cato also knew what Jace was up too, because he made sure to stay in close range. Then, Jace tried to thrust his spear up and managed to graze Cato's arm. Cato let out a snarl and rammed his sword against Jace's spear, causing it to smack into the green eyed boy's face. A fresh trail of blood began to pour down his face from his nose.

Jace dodged to the left and managed another graze, this time on Cato's other arm. It was a deeper one this time, bleeding much more freely.

Cato began a ferocious attack. He let loose a flurry of sword moves. Jace barely managed to block them all. The last one found its mark, burying itself deep into his spear. Cato jerked it out of his hands and flung it away.

He towered over the younger boy, eyes bright with victory. For a moment, I let out a sigh of relief. Cato would never fight an unarmed man. Never. Jace was going to live!

That was, until my friend pulled out a dagger he had hidden in his pocket. While Cato was standing and waving to crowd. Jace lunged forward, burying his dagger deep into Cato's thigh. The president's son let out a grunt of pain as he turned around.

I could see the burning anger in his eyes and the knew there was no stopping him this time.

Jace's eyes met mine and he managed to mouth one last thing before Cato's sword buried itself deep into his chest.

_I love you_

**Umm, I'm afraid to write anything because you guys are going to hate me. Honestly, this is my favorite chapter I have ever written. I know, but it seriously took me like two hours and I'm so proud of it. **

** So, send in those angry reviews! *holds up shield nervously* or nice reviews too..*nervous laughter***

**Remember, 20 reviews...under 2 weeks. And also, I'm trying to update all of my stories within the weekendish, so keep checking back and see if I've gotten any farther...  
**

** R&r!**


	13. Hatred

**Alright, you guys are amazing! Seriously. If I were an emotional person, I prolly would've cried. Oh well. Many, many thanks. And as promised, here it is!**

** Honestly, I was a little hesitant to write this chapter. Eh, I kinda liked it, but everything had to be done. Seriously. **

** Well, yes there is a kiss in this chapter, but nothing like you'd think. I was a little uncomfortable writing it. I'm awful at descriptions. This was more of a chapter to show Prim's hatred for Cato. **

** Someone did ask if they would every grow together. The answer is yes. Of course they will, it just will take a loooong time. And my favorite chapter isn't going to happen until probably 5 more before that. **

** Someone also asked me if I should make a story that is entirely in Cato's POV...actually, there will be his POV in this story. It'll be soon too! So that's my lil' spoiler for my wonderful fans! **

** I LOVE YOU GUYS! seriously. **

** R&r!**

_ No. no. no. no_

My shriek of surprise, fear, and anguish was drowned out by the roar of the crowd. And from the sound of it, they were happy. President Snow had proved that rule breakers would be severely punished. And now, the stupid citizens were pleased.

I sprang to my feet, ignoring the burning pain that flared up in my back. I ignored it, focusing only on my friend.

_no. no. no. no. _

I started forward and stopped hesitantly. What could I do? It's not like I could go back in time and prevent Cato from impaling Jace. _Or Jace from stabbing Cato..._

Cato's face was red from...rage? Effort? I wasn't sure, but he was pretty scary looking. Beads of sweat dripped down his face in rivulets and he hadn't made even the slightest effort to pull the dagger from his thigh. He was bleeding freely from that wound, blood dripping down his leg.

Well, I wouldn't say dripping. It was more like streaming down it. His entire leg was a scarlet red, in stark contrast to the stone floor. The floor beneath his foot was a similar red.

Cato didn't seem to notice. His sole focus was on the blade in his hand. It had sunk all the way into Jace's chest, impaling him solidly.

Jace was a different story. His face was so pale he looked like a ghost.

_no. no. no. no. _

His hands were twitching feebly at his side and it was like you could see the life physically draining out of him. Blood was pouring from his chest. He was losing way too much blood to live through this.

Cato let out a grunt and removed his sword. No longer supported, Jace crumpled to the ground like a rag doll. It was kinda ironic. Both of them were bleeding freely. One had a much larger chance of survival than the other.

The whole ordeal lasted less than a minute, but it was 60 seconds too long.

_no. no. no. no_

An invisible thread severed, and I took off sprinting towards Jace's body. Cato was breathing heavily, loosely holding the sword in his hand.

He seemed to know I was coming, because he turned around and walked away, heading towards and exit. The way he walked suggested he wanted to leave as quickly as possible. He dropped his sword on the rack on the way out.

His pause would've given me enough time to catch up to him..._and what? Call him names? Punch him? He could easily kill you and you know it. There's nothing you can do to him. He's so much __stronger than you. And what is killing you is the fact that he is stronger than you, and always will be. You could never fight him because you would loose. Every match. _

I hesitated, wondering if I should chase down Cato or help my friend. Jace let out a faint groan, and that was that. I hurried to his side.

I frantically searched for a way, something to help him. I had been helping my mom since I was just a kid heal people, so I knew a lot about healing. I knew a hopeless case when I saw one. There was no way Jace could survive. His wounds were too severe.

_No. no. no. no_

_ Pressure. Put pressure on it!_ A voice in the back of my head screamed. I tore the hem off my shirt, not really caring that it ripped up past my stomach. My brand was exposed to the air and I had to grit my teeth as the air made it throb painfully.

I wadded my shirt up and pressed urgently against the wound. It did little to staunch the flow, but at least I was doing _something. _

Hands gently pried mine away from Jace's wound. I looked up to see my friend staring at me. His grip on me was weak, barely enough, but I let him hold my hand. He tried to say something, but a trickle of blood started on the corner of his mouth.

I let out a choked sob, brushing his hair out of his eyes with my free hand. Jace didn't speak, but his eyes were calm. "I'm so sorry," I whispered, stroking his hand softly. "I-I, can't-It's too..." _deep. _I wanted to say. _I could've done something. _

I should've told him it was going to be ok. I should've lied. I should've let him at least live his last few moments in blissful unawares.

But that wasn't Jace. Jace would've seen through my lies and his last moments would've been that of confusion. He would've looked at me and said, 'no it's not.' and I would've lost it.

I had to remain strong in front of him. I wanted his last memory to be of me being honest. I wanted him to die happy.

"I don't regret anything." I whispered, leaning close to him. I heard the slightest exhale from his mouth and I realized it was a laugh. At least, an attempt. "Remember Cato's face when he found us? He was furious." The corners of his mouth quirked upwards.

His hand stroked mine for a moment, before it grew fainter. I swallowed back another lump and looked him in the eye. His eyes were growing cloudier, like muddy water. They grew dimmer and dimmer until finally, the light died out.

Jace's head lolled to one side, closing his eyes as he did. The hand stroking mine lost its strength and slumped over.

His spark had gone out.

I refused to cry yet. I leaned over Jace, cradling him in my lap. I clutched him to my chest, letting all my memories flow around us.

Meeting Jace for the first time; he was my escort after my failed escape attempt.

Meeting him again; this time he gave up his freedom for my chance to escape. A real escape.

Meeting with Jace; the way it was so easy to talk to him.

Growing closer with him; he was funny and smart and so much more of a 'spark' than I could ever hope to be.

Jace.

I wasn't sure how long I sat there, holding tightly to Jace. Long enough that the stadium had cleared out and no one was left. No one had come and gotten me, I assumed because nobody really cared. Honestly. They had taken everything from me.

My life in District 12, Gale, Katniss, my mom, and now Jace.

I was so focused on my grief, that I didn't hear the footsteps.

"How sad, isn't it?" The voice was familiar and sent a shiver down my back. I let go of Jace and stood up, facing the president.

President Snow stood before me, still wearing his suit. His silvery hair and snake eyes gleamed mockingly at me. They held a sort of sadistic glee for what he just did.

"Did you think you were special or something?" Snow continued. His calm manor and matter of fact tone made my fists curl up.

"Did you think you were the only girl Cato has ever known?"

I shook my head angrily, curling my hands into fists.

"This is normal for him. I buy him a 'present,' or girl, if you may." The president leaned closer. "It's like a game to him. He likes to charm them, woo them. Then, when they've fallen hard for him, he breaks their little hearts. He grows bored of them, and then he gets rid of them. Then I find him a new toy, and the cycle starts over."

Snow let out a cruel laugh. "You aren't special. You are just like the rest of them."

Using his cocky arrogance to charm girls and them when he grew tired of them, he'd simply break their hearts. I wasn't made at Snow, I was mad at Cato.

_How could I have been so stupid. Cato was just going to the motions and I was just another challenge for him. All those flirty moments, he was just going to get rid of me as soon as I let my guard down. _

_ This is what I get for trying to trust someone. _

"And now," Snow leaned even closer to me until we were inches apart, "The question is, when does he grow bored of you? And what will happen when he does?"

President Snow's threat was clear. He didn't like me, and once Cato was bored, I would no longer be under his protection. He could banish me, kill me, whatever he wanted.

I stood still in the room as Snow turned and padded away. "Don't stay out too long." His last words before he too left.

I left eventually. Mostly, it was due to exhaustion. I loathed the thought of returning to my room with...Him. I hated Him more than anything right now. I think he surpassed in my list of hatred. That said a lot.

I plodded up, following the path I had raced down earlier so eagerly. How ironic so much had changed in an hour.

I stopped outside of the room, not sure if I wanted to go in or not. I could just sleep out here but, then again, I wanted to see the shame on Cato's face when I saw it. I wanted to know if he felt guilty or not.

I opened the door with a finality since I would have to face him eventually.

Cato was sitting on his couch, eyes glued to the T.V. Screen. He knew I was there, but he made no move to acknowledge me. I stood in the doorway, quivering with rage. How dare he act so casual. How dare he.

I didn't even know what to say though. I searched frantically to think of one thing that could possibly injure him, or a low blow at him.

"How dare you." When I finally spoke, my voice was low and dangerous. It was dripping with malice and hatred.

Cato calmly stood up and brushed his pants off. He walked slowly towards me, deliberate and at ease. His expression was blank and relaxed.

"How dare I?" He tilted his head to the side. "How dare I punish two traitors for breaking the law and plotting treason?" Cato's eyes narrowed.

"No. I think you did just the right thing." I said slowly, "You truly proved that you're just like your father. If the roles were reversed, you would've executed your own mother too. That's the kind of person you are."

The son of the president crossed the room and grabbed me by the shoulders. He lifted me up and slammed me into the wall; pinning me there. We were eye level now, my face level with his. My back was on fire and I could've help but let out a small whimper of pain.

He had one muscular arm on each of my shoulder blade. There was no way I could move. My arms beat his sides, but it seemed to have no effect on him. My legs dangled uselessly, at least a foot off the ground.

Cato's eyes blazed with uncontrollable rage. His grip on my arms tightened, pressing me furthur into the wall. Suddenly, his eyes lit up slightly. His mouth curved upward into a cruel smirk and he leaned forward all the way.

Cato was kissing me. Not in the romantic way, but a very possessive way. My cheeks flamed up. Never before had I felt so humiliated. Cato wasn't doing this because he wanted too. He was doing it because he could.

This was the worst thing he had ever done to me. Worse than when he kicked me, worst than when he attacked me when I first me him. This was an act meant purely to humiliate me. I felt used and ashamed.

Cato broke away and let go of me. I hit the ground hard on my butt, but the pain was just a dull throb compared to the horror I felt.

"I hate you." I growled.

Cato still had the arrogant smirk on his face as he turned away. "You look like you could use a shower." He called over his shoulder as he left the room.

I curled up onto my side on the floor, hating how weak he just made me look. I stood up, deciding the thing I needed right now was a shower. I grabbed some clean clothes and headed into the bathroom, making sure to firmly lock the door.

I finished, feeling slightly better and changed into clean clothes. Right before I slipped my shirt on, I paused. I saw everything; all my scars from my time in the prisons. Countless wounds, crescent-shaped and raised.

It was then that I let go of everything I had been holding in. I allowed myself to cry. I let all of my emotions out; sobbing in the bathroom. It felt good and I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of my chest.

I had to do this. I was going to carry out Jace's wishes and leave this place. He had taught me enough; enough that I could survive in District 13 with.

I was going to escape.

**Yep, how in the world will Prim every think of Cato of anything other than a monster? I guess you'll just have to wait and see!**

** Also, it may be a few weeks until I update again because I have to focus on my other stories too, so if you get bored, check those out! *Bad advertisement***

** R&r!**


	14. Letter

**Yep, just more on Jace. Sorry for the late update! It'll get much better next chapter, I promise. This one is a bit of an eye-opener and slightly boring. But, it's necessary. If you review, I'll give you all Cato dolls. Sounds fair? :)**

**R&r!**

I was moping in His room. While the shower had helped, the rage hadn't gone away. Not even a bit. I was still full off bitter anger just thinking about Him. He had done more than just humiliate me. He had taken everything I had...away.

I curled up into a tighter ball, praying that He'd never return, that'd he just fall down a flight of stairs and die. That someone would just kill him.

This wasn't a story though, the good guys didn't win and the bad guys never lost. It was cruel.

Jace didn't deserve to die. He actually deserved to live way more than I or...He did. What hurt worse was the fact that I'd been so blind.

Of course I wasn't the first slave he'd owned. Of course this was all just a little game to him. He liked to toy with us, and then...when he had us, he simply would wave his arrogant little hand, and we'd be gone, replaced by another.

It was all part of the cycle. And it hurt deeply knowing that I was just a pawn in the game. It hurt to know that I'd been so naïve and stupid. This was all my fault. I should've just never let Katniss volunteer for me and gone into the Hunger Games and died.

It'd be so much easier then.

Jace would've escaped back to District 13, helped start a rebellion, and everyone would be so much happier.

Katniss would've lived a quiet life, probably married Gale and they'd have children of their own some day. Yes she'd be sad, but she could take care of herself. Katniss wasnt' one to let her emotions get in the way.

My mom would be forced to stay alive by Katniss, my sister would've taken good care of her.

Once again. All my fault.

There was a knock at the door. My heart soared, since I knew it could'nt be Him. The boy would've just barged right in. It was his room after all.

I got up and plodded slowly to the door, checking to make sure no sign of the tears I cried were on my face. I opened the door and stepped back.

Both our eyes locked at the same time and I let out a gasp as I saw the familiar red hair. "Lavinia?"

Jace's sister. And a real Avox.

The girl nodded hesitantly, looking around urgently. She made several gestures and pointed to her wrist.

"We don't have much time." I guessed. She nodded. Before I could say anything else, she pulled me into a hug. I returned to hug, much to my surprise. She pulled away quickly and slipped something into my hand.

It was a paper. Actually, a very thick piece of paper. It was multiple pages, it looked like a letter. A very long letter.

With one last sad look, the Avox began to walk away.

I hugged the letter tightly to my chest. "Wait!" Lavinia turned back towards me. "I'm sorry." I whispered, feeling my eyes begin to prickle.

The girl nodded once and gave me a sad smile. She mouthed something at me before scurrying back down the hall. "It wasn't your fault."

It was a small gesture, and I appreciated it. It meant that the girl had forgiven me. That was touching. But, it was false. If I hadn't shown up here, Jace would most definitely still be alive.

How I wished I could turn back time.

Anyways, I decided the best thing I could do right now, was settle down and read the letter. Of course, I didn't want Him finding it, so I settled on the most private place I could find in the room. Under his bed. It was actually quite roomy with enough light to see. I could just shove the paper up in the bottom of the bed if I had too and no one would know it was there.

I opened to the first page, and began to read. I knew right away who wrote it. And I knew right away who it was for.

_P-_

_ I'm sorry. I never **M**eant for it to end like this. I honestly had th**I**s silly notion where we'd both somehow escape to District 13 together and be happy. Maybe even get marrie**D** and have kids of our own some day. _

_ That was **N**aïve of me. It would've turned out the same every time. Only one of us can leave this place and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, I want **I**t to be you. I don't have much time. _

_ They-Cato and his father, had some huge discussion and I know they plan on killing me. Believe it or not, Cato convinced him to let you live. _

_ Sometimes help comes in the most unexpected allies. _

_ It's only a few hours until they are **G**oing to kill me. I don't want to die, I realize. I've never been to District 12. Is itnice? I wonder what the other Districts look like. I wonder what **H**appens when the Capitol's reign ends. _

_ Will we be free to go from District to District as we please? I though**T** about it, and I'd like that. I'd want to travel around Panem, telling out children about the Hunger Games and the girl who was brave enough to end it. _

_ That's w__**H**__at I want life to be like in twenty, maybe even ten years. The tri__**A**__ls of the __Hunger Games will just be a distant memory and peace wi__**L**__l rule. Maybe they'll make a statue in your honor. Wouldn't that be cool? It could never capture your likeness, you're too beautiful for that. I hope I can see you before I die. _

_ I hope you know, if I do, I'd never actua**L**ly tell you they were going to kill me. I'd want our last memory spent together happy, not mourning. I actually hate funerals. _

_ There's another thing you need to know. I told you a story once. When I first met you. I told you about how my parents died. That wasn't the truth. Not by a long shot. I only thought it fair that I tell you now. _

_ Once upon a time, there was a man. He grew up in the Capitol where everything he ever wanted was served to him on a silver platter. He could eat whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, however much he wanted. _

_ He grew up satisfied, but not happy. Not by a long shot. _

_ Then. He met her. She was the daughter of an arena designer. She was nothing like her cruel father though. She was gentle and compationate, and the thought of the poor teenagers fighting to their death filled her with horror. _

_ She would flinch whenever she was forced to attend one of the grand balls her father always hosted and he loved to replay previous Hunger Games on one of their several T.V. Sets. She hated it. _

_ At first, she thought she was alone in the hatred of the games. But, she saw him, watching the screens with a mixture of disgust that mirrored her own. She just had to talk to him. _

_ And she did. And he to her. It was instant connection. He had never felt such deep emotions for someone in his entire life. They fell deeply in love. They also knew, that to speak against the capitol was a crime punishable by death. _

_ At first, that didn't matter. But then, when they were married for about five years, she found out she was pregnant. And they gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. _

_ After that, they couldn't protest the capitol much longer. They had a family to take care of then. But that didn't stop the from filling the child's head with hatred of their city. They tried to convince him, that the very people who provided him with such awesome perks. Were actually very bad. _

_ He believed then in the beginning. But then, when he hung out with his friend, and laughed whenever they watched Hunger Games repeats, he realized that maybe it wasn't all that bad. Maybe, his parents were wrong. Not him. _

_ He was a typical boy, enjoying the gore and excitement of the games. He never realized how real it was. _

_ He was young when he began to hate his parents. Why couldn't they just be like the other parents, who let their children spew hatred about the poor districts and glorify the capitol. Why __wasn't HE allowed to watch reruns of the Hunger Games at their house? Why didn't his parents go out to parties so he could spend more time with his friends? _

_ He got his answer a few months later. He was in school when the teacher gave a very important lesson. _

_ "To speak against the capitol is a crime. Help us keep out city safe by turning in those traitors."_

_ "Traitors..." His parents spoke against the captiol. His parents were traitors! And so, he told his teacher. Everything. And she assured she'd take care of it. And she did. _

_ Two days later, his parents were arrested and they never heard from them again. And the boy, was left to take care of his little sister all by himself, because he was too stupid at that time to recognize that his parents were right. And he was wrong. _

_ But it didn't matter. They were gone. And it was all his fault. _

_ That was me Prim. I killed my parents. Not directly, but it was my fault. I wish I could go back to that day. Every single day I relive the memories of my parents. All they ever did was love me and want what was best for us. And I killed them. _

_ This story does have a happy ending though, as depressing as it may seem. It goes something like this. _

_ Then, when the boy was brought back to the Capitol after years of traitorous work, the President recognized him as the boy who turned in his parents and immediately took him as his slave. This was also a deeper brand of the boy's betrayal. _

_ He had never felt so low in his life. Then, She came. She was fiesty and fierce and had such a bright spirit. He knew immediately that she was the one. She had was the one to stop the war. When she spoke, the whole world had to stop and listen. _

_ Prim, these people need you. I've spent my whole life regretting my past and now, you have the chance to change this place. You can stop this war and save us all. Please. I know you said you'd agree to be the spark, but I'm worried. _

_ Who's going to encourage you when I'm gone? Who is going to make you believe? I hope this letter can and I hope that you will at least let me die knowing that you'll get to District 13. I bet you can't wait for that special dance with that special person before it ENDS. All of this writing makes me wonder where all the TIME has gone. _

_ I bet the ball is in a very special LOCATION. _

_ Love, _

_ ~J. _

I instantly got the last line. It was so Jace. I bet you can't wait until that special dance with that special person before it ends. The Ball. It ends. I leave. Duh.

And he capitalized time. He must've put something in here to help me. He also capitalized location. Where I was supposed to go. He wouldn't just leave me without any idea what I was doing. I was just going to have to look harder.

It went on, a few more pages with no message. Seriously. None. Not even on the back. I had no idea what he meant. I made sure I was alone again and re-read the paper. Then I red it again. And again. I didn't see anything.

Why would Jace write that and not give me something? I had no idea what he was talking about!

But then. _Maybe..._

At the beginning. There were words that he had written as capitol letters when they should've been lower case. I ran my finger over the writing, trying to pick out the concealed letters with squinted eyes.

"M...I...D...N...I...G...H...T...Midnight!" I whispered loudly. "That's the time." _Ok Jace, what are you getting at? _

I looked for the location.

"H...A...L...L...hall." That was easy enough. He must be talking about the hall we used to meet up at. I had to find a way to leave the Ball at midnight and sneak off to the hall. That sounded simple enough.

I felt renewed. Energized. I had a plan. I had a location. I had a time. I had an escape.

Game on Cato.

**Hehe, poor Prim. Well, this is just a little bit more on Jace's background and how he's just trying to tell Prim to never give up, even after his death. He knows she might falter when he dies, so he wrote the letter to encourage her to continue on without him. Yeah...**

**R&r!**


	15. Dress Up

**I'm back! And no longer concussed! Thanks for all your wonderful reviews...can we get 20 this time? The next chapter I have HUGE plans for, and I'm really excited to get to. Seriously, it'll be epic! R&r!**

"Try it on." Cato came into the room, looking completely unruffled. His eyes were completely blank and carefully guarded. The air hung with the tension of words unspoken. I knew for a fact he would never be the first to bring up what happened and I just wanted to drop it.

All I had to do was do was act um...defeated until the end of the ball. I had to make them think that they had literally broken me. I had lost my will to fight.

Honestly, that wouldn't be all that hard. I was feeling pretty hopeless right now.

A few hours after my shower, an Avox had come in, put a bandage over my burn mark, and some sort of ointment to prevent infection, and left.

It was now morning and I had my plan all figured out on how I was going to pull this off.

My back still hurt, but it was more of a dull throb now. It was bearable. The burns were still very visible though. They always would be.

Cato was followed by several Avoxes all carrying various dresses it looked like. Each one was a varying shade of blue and each one was as different as night and day. There were at least half a dozen of them, all extremely detailed and expensive.

They all spread about an equal distance apart and set their bundle down. I kept my face emotionless and shrugged. Another Avox scurried in. It was Lavinia. I felt a flash of gratefulness as she hurried over with what looked like a board. She set it up in an available space.

I realized that it was a wall divider to change into the dresses. Cato crossed his arms and watched me. I nodded and plodded over to the changing wall...it wasn't really a room.

It turns out Lavinia was supposed to help me into the various dresses, so that was an added bonus. She helped me into the first one, tightening it where it needed and adjusting and tying where I couldn't reach. The dress fit like it had been made for me.

Maybe it had been.

Lavinia gave my hand a small squeeze as I stepped from behind the divider. Cato watched like a hawk as he made me walk forward and turn around. I remained quiet and obedient not speaking one word.

I had to try on all of them and suffer under Cato's cold gaze as I paraded around like a show dog or something. Finally, I tried on the final one and went back to change back into my regular clothes.

"Wait." Cato stopped me with a hand on my shoulder. I turned slowly to face him. He had a slight smirk on his lips, a curl in his mouth that suggested huge amusement. He was enjoying every moment of my humiliation.

"Try on this one again." He thrust a pale blue dress in Lavinia's hand and ushered us behind the divider.

I sighed but did as he asked, not uttering a peep. I stepped out into the dress he had picked for me to wear.

I had to admit, it was a nice choice.

It was a very pale blue, like ice. It was a strapless floor-length ball gown with a sweetheart neckline with a layer of netting over it. The whole gown was covered in tiny diamonds that glittered and winked even in this lighting. The majority of the diamonds were along the top of my neckline, loosely around my waist, and along the bottom of the dress.

Not bad.

Not that I showed it or anything. I shrugged and hurried back to the changing divider. I was glad to change back into regular clothes.

The dress of choice was packaged up and set away in a closet where it would be safe. All the Avoxes carried the unchosen dresses and left the room. Lavinia flashed me one last look before she too left the room.

It just left Cato and I.

Oh, and lots of awkward silence.

I wasn't going to speak first.

I went around the room, tidying up anything out of place. Too soon though, it was all cleaned up. Cato hadn't really moved from his spot in the center of the room, but now, he crossed to where I was standing. I flinched when he lifted up a hand towards me.

Cato let out a small chuckle and rested his thumb right beneath my chin. He lifted up gently, forcing my chin to tilt upwards until our eyes met; blue meeting blue.

For the briefest flicker of a moment, I thought Cato was about to apologize. I'm not sure, why, there was just this look in his eyes that...but then he spoke.

"You will behave at the dance." He pronounced each word like it were a poison that he couldn't wait to spit out of his mouth. Each word enunciated clearly and spoken like it were a curse.

_I hate you. I hate you. I hate you._

I wanted to explode.

I wanted to freak out.

I wanted to tell him everything I thought about him.

I wanted him to experience the sort of pain I felt.

Unfortunately, I had nothing against him. I didn't know anything about him that would impact him as much as he's impacted me.

_I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. _

I nodded.

"Good." Cato shook his head briskly.

"The dance is in three days. I want you in here unless I tell you otherwise."

Nod.

"Don't think about disobeying orders."

Nod.

"I want my room cleaned spotless."

Nod.

"When we are at the Ball, you will not leave my side. Understood?"

Nod.

"Unless told otherwise."

Nod.

"Follow these simple rules, and the next three days will be very painless for you."

Nod.

Cato opened his mouth and then closed it. He nodded himself and stalked over to the couch and plopped down. He began to flip through the channels listlessly.

"Rosie, go and get me some lunch from the kitchen." He called after about twenty minutes of me standing there awkwardly. I nodded again and headed out the door. I knew the way to the kitchen by heart now.

I got several odd looks on the way to the kitchen and a few people even walked to the other side of the hall to avoid me. I was being shunned.

Ouch.

Once in the kitchen, I knocked once. The door opened and the a kitchen maid stood in front of me. Her face twisted into a scowl as she looked me up and down. "What do you want you worthless trash?" She spat.

I opened my mouth to speak, but she cut me off. "You ain't better than a rat, you scum. I oughta kill you myself, it'd be a burden offa's all." She snarled. Each of her words were like a dagger, driving themselves deeper and deeper into my heart. I winced.

"I'm here for Cato's lunch." I mumbled.

The maid hissed and stalked away. She returned with a large platter full of several dishes of food. It was clearly meant to be used with a trolly for easier carrying, but she merely shoved the entire thing in my hands and gave me a hideous smile.

"Go drag yourself back to'ya master, you rat." She began to close the door, but I couldn't help it. I stuck one foot in the door.

"This is for Cato, ma'am." I gritted my teeth and said as politely as possible. "You may have heard of him, the son of the mansion owner himself? I don't think he'd like it if his food was dropped on the way there because the kitchen staff were too poor to afford a trolly to carry it." I added sweetly.

The cook let out a snarl of fury and slapped me. I stumbled back, not expecting that reaction. "FILTHY CREATURE!" She hissed, drawing back as if I were diseased, "You might get away with speaking loike that the Cato, but If'n I ever hear that again, I don't care, I'll flay you mesef'" She screeched one more time, such a high pitched noise that I had to flinch myself.

I bared my teeth at her and backed away, struggling to balance the heavy tray. "You'll be flayed, you old hag!" I shouted at her retreating form. The kitchen door slammed in my face.

"I guess there's no trolly for me." I mumbled. Well, it felt good to get some anger out. I couldn't very well scream at Cato, but it felt good to yell at someone, even if it was a kitchen maid.

A few steps up, I was beginning to regret insulting that stupid girl. Obnoxious or not, this tray was heavy. I just gritted my teeth and began to struggle up the steps, ignoring the growing burn that was beginning on my lower back.

I had to stop and take a small break. It couldn't have been more than a few moments. I rested against the banister and took heaving breaths as I tried to mentally steel myself for the last stairs and long hallway I'd have to go down.

Around ten minutes later, I arrived at the door, trying to bite back a hiss of pain that was from my back. It was protesting and I felt like I had been burned a second time.

I placed the tray on the ground and opened the door and picked the tray back up. With a barely concealed groan of relief, I set it down on the table.

"You're late." Cato was leaning against the couch, arms crossed.

I let go of the tray and retreated a few steps, trying to quiet my own grumbling stomach. I'm sure I looked like a mess, all sweaty from the stairs and breathing heavily, and my hair all ruffled. Oh well.

"I'm sorry." I ducked my head and didn't move, waiting for his reaction.

Cato sighed and stalked over to the table and settled down. "The table isn't going to set itself." He sighed in annoyance.

I scurried over and set up his table. A glass of water, a glass of milk, and all sorts of various dishes. Roast lamb, duck, mashed potatoes, stew, raspberries. You name it and the capitol had it. Sick.

All I wanted to do was collapse on the couch and sleep for a year. I also wanted to place an ice cold snow melt on my back, but that wasn't going to happen.

"What happened?" Cato paused his eating long enough to point to his cheek. I knew he was talking about mine. It probably was red from when that psycho slapped me.

"What?" I decided to play dumb.

"Your cheek is all red." His eyes narrowed and he seemed to be putting two and two together.

"I hit my head on the banister." I cut in. Cato looked startled but he nodded, thankfully not pressing any further.

I walked over to the couch, intending to flop down and sleep, when a hand grabbed my arm. Cato tightened his grip on mine. How the heck did he just move that quickly? I'm not sure.

"You can clean up later, let's go." I merely nodded, not really caring what we were doing anymore. I followed Cato down the hall and into his training room. The sight of all the swords hanging on the wall caused me to flinch, remember the way Cato wielded his sword.

He might look human, but he was a cold-blooded, killing machine.

~o0o0~

Three Days Later:

I was awoken at...early. I wasn't sure what the time was, by the lack of light filtering through the window told me that it was early. Really early.

I was lying on my side of the bed. Yeah, I slept in the bed again, I just made sure to stay on my side. Way on my side.

Someone woke me up by pulling the blanket away and leaving me shivering in the cold morning air.

I opened one eye to see Cato standing over me, arms crossed, shirt off. He looked totally calm to the fact that it was before morning and while he looked like he could be the model of...well all of Panem, I'm sure I looked like I had been dragged through a blender.

The past three days had been rough. I had to clean Cato's room. Spotless. It gleamed like a polished shoe, if I don't mean to brag. I had washed down everything, cleaned everything, changed everything, swept the ceiling, behind the T.V. And anywhere else that might be needed.

It only took me two and a half days to complete. For Cato to be satisfied.

Thankfully, I had burned Jace's note after I finished reading it. Didn't want that to be discovered.

Well, most of it. I kept a small scrap, about his final goodbye, but that was tucked underneath the bed, where it would never be found. Ever.

I hastily got up and made the bed, not uttering a word, partially out of spite, partially out of complete exhaustion. It was way too early for me to be up. No one should have to be up at this hour. No one.

"Today is going to be long." Cato told me as soon as I finished pulling the final cover into place. "This Ball will take all day to prepare for." I nodded.

"You are going to assist me." Another nod.

Cato swore loudly and turned on my, grabbing me around the throat. I let out a squeak of surprise as he slammed me forcefully into the wall. I was several feet off the ground and I had a flash of deja vu.

My back flared up and I let a grunt of pain out. I glared daggers at my captor, but didn't do anything else. I refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing my fear.

"What's your problem?" He snarled, pressing me harder against the wall. I racked my brain for anything that would have set him off. Anything that I may or may not have done. I couldn't remember.

I went limp, trying to become a dead weight in his grasp. Unfortunately, he lifted weights almost daily and could easily pick me up. I was nothing more than a sack of feathers to him.

"You are so...dead!" Cato shouted, growing more agitated every second. "You do all your chores and stuff, but you don't complain!" He licked his lips and continued, "You do everything I ask without any snarky comments or...anything at all! All you ever do it nod!"

I turned my head, feeling beads of spittle fly from his mouth and land on my cheek. I didn't close my eyes, though. I waited for him to finish before turning my head back to face him.

I knew I was jeopardizing the whole mission, but I couldn't help it. I just had too. I looked at him straight in the eye and gave him a look. I actually meant it to be full of hate and bitterness, but when I looked at him, I felt my anger drain away and replace with sadness.

"Isn't that what you wanted?" I murmured softly. "You wanted to break me. Well, congratulations." Cato's eyes widened with realization. His grip faltered and he let me down. I rubbed my throat ruefully and stood up.

Most of the morning passed in complete silence. I served Cato breakfast (It was now delivered to our room instead of me fetching it because I took too long last time.) Then, I cleaned up the breakfast and assisted him and preparing for tonight. He was in charge of a bunch of stuff, and had to make sure it was perfect.

I basically followed him around for several hours, enduring hate filled glances shot my way and awkward silence that seemed to follow Cato and I everywhere we went.

Everywhere we went, there were snatches of conversation floating around.

"...don't know why he didn't just..."

"...kill them both..."

"...gone soft..."

"...She's a traitor..."

"...don't feel safe..."

"...took pity on her..."

"...yeah right..."

"...scum..." Bonus points to whoever guesses that one came from.

The whispers followed me everywhere, until I felt I were suffocating in them. I could just tell that everyone was whispering about me, mainly from the hateful looks and hushed conversations sent my way. I honestly didn't care. I just ducked my head and continued working.

Most of the work was already done. Cato was just double checking to make sure everything was perfect. Decorations were hung, enough food was prepared (In my opinion, there was enough food to feed all of District 12 for at least a year. Wasteful Capitolians.) the guest list was good, nobody unwanted would be slipping in...or out.

Cato was in the ballroom, checking that there wasn't a speck of dust around. He was balanced precariously on a chair, on foot stretched out and the other planted on the very edge of the seat. He was checking one of the plants that were hung up to make sure there were no dust or stray dirt loosened.

I hated him. Yet, I also envied to graceful way he moved. He was massive, hulking even, but he moved with the grace of a deer. Actually, more like a wolf. Cato leaped down from the chair, landing perfectly and lightly. How he did that was beyond me.

Definitely a wolf.

I scowled as he walked over. Cato looked amused and also excited. Why would he be excited? Did he really love balls that much? Looks like it.

"Now, first a lunch, and then I'm sending you away." A flare of panic shot through me. Away? Like from the house? No, I had plans for tonight!

Cato must have sensed my panic, because he shook his head. "To get ready for tonight." Ah.

We ate a light lunch (Soup) and headed out separate ways. Cato went to be prepared for tonight and I went to be prepared by professionals for tonight. It was no small task for whoever had to do that.

"Oh dear!" An extremely tall, extremely thin girl with light aqua colored skin and gold tattoos running all over her body stepped into the room. Her hair was cut very short and had streaks of gold to match her body. Her makeup job was outrageous, yet stylish. Definitely part of my prep team.

"You are even prettier than we were told!"

What the...no... "I-I uh..." I spluttered, sort of caught of guard. I wasn't expecting that sort of hello. I was expecting, "Oh, you scum. Lets see if I can try and turn this ugly toad into something passable."

A short girl with dusted silver skin and swirling green hair (Very curly) paraded in after her. Her nails were really long, and painted a dark green with tiny jewel designs in them. Her lips were a similar green.

"Oh, I wish I had such beautiful eyes." She sighed. She walked over and picked up a few pieces of my hair expertly. "I believe I can work very well with this." She sounded delighted.

"Don't be too scary!" A loud voice interrupted. A third girl, this one looked young, only a few years older than I was. She had white eyelashes and white hair. Expect, it looked like she had taken a paintbrush and just splattered tons of different colors in both. White was the dominant color, but she most certainly had every other color of the rainbow.

The girl bounded over to where I was sitting and put a hand on her hip. She was sort of cute, in a capitol way, I guess.

"It's ok." She said, shaking her head. "I'm Alstonia, this is Silene, the one with the SUPER cute tattoos, and the lovely lady with the AMAZING nails is Lunaire." She emphasized every vowel and had a very distinct accent.

"We are here to make you gorg!" Silene added excitedly.

Lunaire hit her lightly, "She already is, we are just here to bring it out."

They set to work. First, I had to take like three different baths. I was self conscious about my scars and I insisted that I get into the tub unassisted. Then, they allowed me to wear a comfortable robe while they shaped my nails, painted them a beautiful blue the same color as my dress and added details. I mean, super detailed tiny jewels added that looked like stars on my nails. Both hands and feet.

My skin was rubbed with a lotion (I did that too) and soon it was silky smooth. Lunaire and Silene styled my hair while Alstonia went to work on my face. It took a few hours, but finally, they were done. All I needed to do was step into my dress and I'd be good.

I gasped when I saw myself in the mirror. My blond hair had been cut to a few inches below my shoulders. The girls had cut me bangs and curled them so they swept across my forehead. The rest of my hair had been curled into very tiny little curls and they cascaded gorgeously down my whole face. It framed it perfectly and beautiful.

My makeup was another story. My eyes simply popped, looking bright and happy and...it was just beautiful. Then, reality caught up to me. This wasn't some dance. I wasn't there just to have fun either. I was on a mission. But, I could look nice.

I wasn't cute. I wasn't pretty. I was beautiful in an almost otherworldly sense.

I didn't look scared, or helpless, or weak. I looked strong, stunning, and ready for anything.

Anything at all.

**Aww, I just love tough!Prim, she's so adorable! :)**

**Anywhoo, since your dear ol' author is terrible at description, I'll put some links for the dress and eye makeup...as for the hair, just type in Taylor Swift and look up her long curly hair style :)**

** weheartit entry/ 15894524 /via / hallucinatedbeauty (Add a . c o m)  
**

**and for the amazing dress...**

** sino-treasure Blue-Satin -Tulle -Sweetheart -Ball -Gown -Floor -Length -Beading -Prom -Dress**

**Minus spacing and adding three W's obviously...yeah**

**A hint on the next chapter...**

**Think Cinderella! Think about it, big blue dress, midnight, leaving...it fits perfectly**


	16. Cinderella Part One

**SORRY for the wait! I've been realllly stressed recently and I haven't been able to write. I'm pretty happy with this chapter, it just flowed much better than the last one. Warning: Prim is really emotionally confused in this chapter (It'll be explained in part two) **

**R&r!**

"Beautiful." Silene whispered, tucking a stray strand of hair out of my eyes. I felt my eyes beginning to water in gratitude.

"Thank you." I hugged her. I looked amazing, stunning, and this helped me boost my confidence to carry out my plan and escape.

"Now," She said sternly, pushing me away gently, "While your make-up can withstand a small hurricane, I don't want you to accidentally mess it up." My make-up was water proof? That might come in handy!

I remembered a story I had once heard. It wasn't from school though, no this story might ignite rebellion. Katniss had told me this story. It was when one of the neighborhood boys had called me ugly. Granted, I was only ten at that time and at a very awkward stage, but it had hurt my young feelings none the less.

_"Prim, when I was your age, dad told me this same story." My sister put me on her knee and brushed my hair out of my eyes, which were tear soaked. I instantly stopped crying, and listened intently. Anytime dad was mentioned, I wanted to hear more. _

_ "It's the story of a young girl, who lived in District 12, just like us. She lived in the village square, with her father and mother. When she was young, her mother was very sick. Very ill, she didn't have much longer to live._

_ The daughter, Cinderella, went to visit her mom. Her mom told her, 'Cinderella, I want you to remember, to always stay true to yourself, and always be kind to others, no matter what. _

_ Well, Cinderella's mother died, and her father began to fall in love with another beautiful woman. They married a few months later and the woman turned out to be very wicked. She had two ugly daughters, who were cruel and mean. The father had to leave to go and work, and the step-mother took over. _

_ She and the daughters were very mean to Cinderella, they made her clean the house, and do all their chores, and they made her sleep in the kitchen. She was like a servant to them!_

_ Throughout all of this, though, Cinderella never became bitter. She loved life and was obedient and caring. _

_ Then, she saw the chance of a lifetime. The recent victor of the Hunger Games, Prince Charming, wanted to get married. So, he was throwing a ball to find the girl of his dreams. _

_ Cinderella wanted, no begged her step-mother to let her go, but she refused. She said that Cinderella had too much work to do, and she'd never get it done in time. She said if the poor girl did, than she would be allowed to go. _

_ With new found determination, Cinderella set to work, and not only finished the work, but had enough time to prepare a very nice dress for the ball. The step sisters grew jealous, so they completely ruined the dress and left for the ball, leaving the girl crying on the floor. _

_ All hope had been lost. Cinderella knew her last chance had been crushed. She could only cry on the floor. _

_ She was so upset, she didn't hear the sound of bells. When Cinderella finally looked up, she saw something that made her smile. A kindly old woman was standing before her, looking so friendly, that the girl felt her sadness floating away. _

_ 'Tell me my dear,' the woman said, 'What seems to be the problem?' _

_ 'If you don't mind me asking,' The girl sniffled, 'but who are you?'_

_ 'Why! I'm your fairy godmother!' The lady smiled again, pulling out a wand. 'I'm here to send a beautiful maiden to the ball!' _

_ With a wave of her wand, the sobbing girl was gone, instead, she was a confident girl with an even prettier dress than the first one. This one was an icy blue that flowed and made her feel like a real princess! A tiara of diamonds twinkled on her head and a necklace winked at her throat. _

_ 'Thank you!' Cinderella cried, throwing her arms around the godmother, 'Thank you!'_

_ The woman fondly pushed her away, 'You're going to be late, my dear!' With another wave, she sent the girl away on a beautiful carriage. _

_ 'Oh, you must leave at midnight!' She called to the retreating girl. _

_ 'Huh?' _

_ 'The spell breaks at midnight!' The fairy called out. _

_ The girl promised to remember as she headed on her way to the ball that was going to change her destiny." _

My spirits rising, I twirled again, feeling lithe and graceful, and alive! I was ready for anything.

"Time to go meet up with Cato." Almost anything. I thanked my prep team again and allowed them to lead me down the hall towards wherever my escort was waiting.

As I stepped into view, I repeated the story in my head. While I was no princess, and Cato was no prince charming, I was going to find my destiny.

Cato looked good. Like really good. His hair had been growing a bit wild, but his stylists had trimmed it neatly. He looked good in a suit. He looked tall and mature and handsome. He had a bow tie, the exact color of my dress and his hair looked really glossy.

Cato had been talking to some little guy a few moments ago, but when I came into view, he stopped. His mouth dropped open and he just stared, his gaze taking in every inch of my body. Finally, seemingly satisfied, he nodded my prep team away. They scattered, muttering good lucks to me.

The little guy also scurried away until it was just Cato and I.

Cato closed his mouth with a loud snap and cleared his throat. I stepped down the last few steps and stopped in front of Cato.

"You look nice." Cato finally found his voice. He paused, as if waiting for something.

"Oh! Uh...you to?" I stuttered out, finally finding my voice. I mentally slapped myself. Cato was just one obstacle between me and my determination to leave. I was going to get away tonight, and Cato wasn't going to stop me.

I put my blank face back on, slipping back into my defenses. Cato looked frustrated, as if he were annoyed I was shutting him out.

"Take my hand." He hissed. He crooked his elbow, making a cozy spot where my hand could rest. I hesitated, not really wanting to get close enough to touch him. "Now." His voice dropped lower, more threatening.

I hastily slipped my hand into his arm. It was a little awkward because Cato towered over me, at close to six foot two. I was closer to five feet two inches, maybe even three inches. I was tiny. I had to stand up really straight and Cato had to lean over slightly for my hand.

I took a deep breath and wished I hadn't. Cato smelled amazing. He was obviously wearing something, it was like...I didn't even know, but it smelled so good! I had to slap myself again. What was I doing?!

_"The victor had been dancing all evening. He was growing weary. None of the girls were, right. They all had at least one fatal flaw. The victor longed for someone he could spend the rest of his life with, not some girl who giggled whenever he opened his mouth!_

_ He sat down after yet another long dance with another boring girl who must've stepped on his toes at least thirty times. He was still rubbing his sore limb, when the air seemed to grow thicker. _

_ The victor looked around, curious as to what had happened. To his surprise, none of the eyes were on him. Everyone was staring, and gasping, and whispering and pointing at someone else. Not just someone else, a beautiful girl." _

I tried to breath as shallowly as possible, and focus on the goal. Nothing could stop me, nothing.

Nothing except...Katniss?

I stepped into the ballroom, admiring the way the lighting was dim, the ceiling covered by thousands of tiny lights, making it looks like it were the night sky. The windows were covered by thick black curtains and then covered with lights also. The theme seemed to be night.

My dress caught the light and sparkled in the fixtures, looking like my body was made of light.

"You look like you're on fire." Cato whispered at me. He was in a good mood, I knew that immediately. I wondered what he would do when he found out I was gone. Would he throw a fit? Would he not care? Would he search for me?

I honestly had no answer. And also...what would I do? I had been with Cato every day since day one. Would I miss him? No. No. No!

Yes.

I tried to remind myself why I hated him in the first place. He had killed Jace. He took me away from my family, he branded me! Yet, there had to be a spark of humanity in him, right?

I was still gazing around the room, mentally battling with myself when I saw her. It was just a flash of dark hair. I returned my gaze, trying not to shriek in joy when I saw my sister! Katniss was here!

I just had to talk to her. I first needed to get away from Cato. Cato was already staring at me. I felt my face begin to heat up again, and I tried to stop it. I didn't really care what he was doing, I wanted to get away from him.

Cato held out a hand, "Let's dance." I was about to say no, when I found myself saying a casual, 'OK.'

_"The victor locked eyes with her, not able to take his gaze away. Time seemed to slow down, and all he could see was HER. _

_ The room was gone, and he was in a far-away land, on he and his mysterious woman. She laughed, and that seemed to break the spell. _

_ The victor stood up eagerly, and plowed forward with determination, going to ask her to dance. With his best smile, and a slow blush creeping up his face, he cleared his throat, 'may I have this dance, my dear?'_

_ Cinderella blushed, and nodded eagerly, enjoying the way his warm hand felt grasping her own. In perfect sync, they flew around the dance floor."_

We twirled around the dance floor. Cato was amazingly good at it. Why did he have to be good at everything? He twisted me and dipped me low, always managing to stay on beat.

I found myself growing more and more breathless, enjoying this dance way too much. Finally, on the last note, we finished, ending so Cato and I were nose to nose. I saw his eyes change, and I understood what it meant.

I twisted away quickly, putting on fake cheerfulness. "Well, that was fun." Cato nodded, hiding his emotions well.

"I'm going to...uh...get punch!" I waited a second, waiting for his permission.

"Hurry back." Cato hissed. He found another girl, and began to dance with her. He whispered something in her ear and she laughed. She was obviously soaking up the attention he was giving her, and she even cast a sneer in my direction. I ignored them, intent on searching for my sister.

I found her, clutching a wine glass and laughing at something some man had said. Her fingers were twisting her hair and she fluttered her eyes playfully. The man, probably closer to late twenties, was smiling, his hand on her waist. My stomach turned for a moment before I decided to wait until they finished talking and then I'd talk to her.

Finally, the man smiled once more and walked away, a goofy grin plastered on his face. I darted forward, as quickly as I could in a dress. "Katniss." I hissed, low and looking around to make sure we weren't noticed.

My sister looked around, confused for a moment. "Katniss." I hissed again. Her eyes locked onto mine and shock washed over her features. Her mouth opened and closed for a moment and she looked so uncertain.

I hurried over to her side, taking her limp hand. Katniss looked almost frozen in shock, and I gently took her hand and tugged her behind a bush. No one saw us, thankfully, and the bush offered total protection from prying eyes.

The space was a little squished, and my back was pressed up against the wall, while Katniss was using the tree for bush for support. I smiled joyfully at her, trying to snap her out of her faze.

My sister shook her head and reached a hand up slowly, touching my face gently. "You...you're alive." She whispered mainly to herself. She didn't seem to believe herself. "You're...alive." She repeated.

"Yes, I'm alive!" I twisted impatiently, I had so much to tell my sister. I had so much to ask her too! If only I had more time! I probably only had about ten minutes before Cato would tear up the ballroom, looking for me. I had to hurry.

"I thought you were dead." My sister collapsed into sobs, great heaving ones. She threw her arms around me, and I sagged under the sudden weight. "They told me you were killed." Her body shook with her cries, and I patted her back awkwardly.

"Not too loud," I murmured gently to her. I shifted impatiently again, wanting to talk to her with the few minutes I would have. Finally, my sister sniffled once more and her face slid back into a happy face.

Wow, she was almost as good as Cato as hiding her emotions. One minute she was a sobbing mess, the next she was fine.

"I'm so glad you're OK." She sighed.

"Yes, OK, do you know how mom is?" I pushed. I hadn't really thought about my mom since I got here, but that didn't mean I forgot about her. Every second I had to think about the prison, I thought about her. Was she OK? Did they kill her? Did she give up?

"Mom?" Katniss grew distant for a moment before answering. "I think she's still alive. I dunno, I haven't been back to that place for a month."

Something was off. Katniss had changed. She wasn't the sister I had known. There was something missing about her. I couldn't quite pinpoint what it was though.

"What happened to you?" My sister asked, "You look different." _I'm not the only one. _I grimaced. "You look...older."

"I've had to grow up pretty fast here," I was being harsh, and I'm not even sure why.

"What happened to you?" My sister repeated, looking around nervously. "I just want to know how you got here."

"Well, I'm not sure really. One moment I was lying in my cozy prison cell, the next I was getting dragged of the the Capitol to work as a servant for some spoiled rich brat." I shrugged, trying to look casual. I wouldn't really say Cato was spoiled. He just acted all high and mighty all the time.

"What about you?" I had to know. Katniss looked nervous, yet when I saw her talking, she oozed confidence.

"I...I've learned from my mistakes." My sister stuttered, running a hand through her hair. "I decided...I d-didn't want anyone else I loved to die." She looked down.

It hit me then. Why Katniss had changed so much. Why she was so nervous. Why she hadn't been under guard when she was here. Why she was so confident when she was talking to that guy.

"Katniss!" My voice was shrill, "You've...You've become...one of them!" My voice was broken, it was so full of anger. "That's why you look different, you've accepted your life!"

Katniss flinched visible with my outburst. This time, it was she who looked around nervously to make sure we were alone and no one heard. Thankfully, the loud music covered up my shouting.

I was furious. My sister had stopped resisting Snow's insistence she becomes...like Finnick Odair. She stopped refusing people's advances...people who wanted to buy her, and just given up. She was selling her body!

And she was doing it willingly. Katniss didn't want to get caught talking to me, because she'd be punished if she did. She obviously didn't want to hurt the trust of her 'managers' and risk angering them! She was such a coward!

Katniss was here at this party because she was supposed to flirt with potential customers and buyers. There was something else.

Katniss's anger. Her bitterness. Her harshness, everything that made Katniss, Katniss, was gone. She looked almost innocent without it. All her defensive shields she had set up before the Hunger Games, were gone. Katniss was as harmless as a kitten now.

"You coward!" I shouted, balling my hands into fists at my side. "You spineless coward!" Each word was like a blow to my sister, and she visibly shook under each accusation. I aimed my words like arrows, each aimed to pierce her heart.

Some of this was anger. But most of it was pain. I don't know how I expected our meeting to go. Maybe she would hug me tightly and tell me everything was going to be OK. Maybe she would hold me close and tell me that she was busily planning an escape, then she'd come back for me. Maybe she'd tell me that she was gaining their trust and she'd soon be getting away. I don't know, I'd rather have anything than...this.

Katniss wasn't trying to get away from here. She was embracing this new life. She was thriving in this life, and almost seemed to be enjoying it.

"I would rather be dead, than find out my sister turned out like this. I think mom would too." I hissed, wanting so badly for Katniss to hurt, to feel how my heart was ripping in two seeing that my sister had become a...capitol pet.

I mean, I sort of was a pet, but I didn't just sit around and accept it. I was protesting every second of this. I would never just give up!

"Prim, the Capitol is very powerful. You can't fight them. Don't hurt yourself." My sister actually looked concerned about my welfare.

"You wouldn't know!" I growled, I couldn't help but add, "I'm actually leaving. Tonight. I'm going to stop this. Other people shouldn't have to live like this."

"Prim." For a second, I thought Katniss was going to ask to come with me. "Be careful."

"You would know." I snapped and stalked out of our meeting spot.

For a moment, something prickled in the corner of my eye and I angrily brushed it away. I would not cry. I came here on a mission and not even Katniss could stop me.

"Prim." Cato grabbed my hand a few moments later and led me to the dance floor. I didn't speak, just allowing him to begin. I was numb as I tried to sort out my emotions about Katniss. Yes I was mad, but she was also my sister.

Never mind, she had made her choice.

We danced in silence, me deep in thought, and Cato looking at me thoughtfully. After a moment, Cato broke the silence, "What are you thinking?"

He sounded almost concerned, as if he cared about me. I almost laughed out loud. Cato cared for no one but himself. "Nothing."

"Doesn't look like that?" He whispered into my ear. I laughed out loud this time.

"It really is nothing. I'm just admiring the decorations." I lied smoothly. We continued dancing in silence for a few moments. It occurred to me that this would be the last time I would ever see Cato. If this worked. I didn't know whether to feel happy...or oddly enough, sad.

The dance ended, and the clock chimed loudly. I counted the chimes, realizing what time it was. Midnight. I pulled away from Cato hastily, this time mumbling about needing to go to the bathroom. Cato wouldn't let go of my hand.

"Where are you running off to this time?" He growled, sending shivers down my spine. He sounded suspicious and I tried to hide my nervousness.

"I have to go pee, I drank too much punch." I urged, silently begging him to let go of my arm. He sighed and let go.

"Be back here in five minutes. Or else." I nodded and hurriedly scurried off. I had to go meet up in the hallway and get out of here. And now I only had a five minute window to get away. I hope this won't take too long.

"Midnight, hall." I muttered to myself, slipping unnoticed through the large crowd of drunk, dancing people. I was on my way to freedom.

_"Dong, the clock struck midnight. Cinderella knew she had to leave, or else the spell would be broken. She turned and fled the room, leaving a shocked crowd. The victor was stricken and tried to chase after her, but she was too fast. She did leave one thing behind, a delicate slipper, that she had been wearing that night. _

_The victor clutched the shoe to his chest, his only proof the mystery woman hadn't been fake. He vowed he would one day find her, or die trying." _

**_Hmm, some foreshadowing in the last lines? Maybe? Well, sorry for the long wait, I've been battling with tons of stress and lack of motivation. Hopefully, I'll put that all behind me. Anyways, the next chapter is going to be...awesome. It's actually a special surprise, and it might even have to be split into two parts!_**

**_I really loved this chapter, and Prim is very emotionally conflicted in this chapter. That's because well...even she's not sure. I hope this was worth the wait, and this was NOT a filler chapter. The rest of Cinderella will be finished in part two, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!_**

**_R&r!_**


	17. Cato pt 1

**Well, one month and 12,000 words later, here it is...Cato's POV! Ugh, I was expecting like maybe 6,000 words, but it turned out a lot longer than I was expecting. But, I like it. I tried to keep Cato in character, but it was pretty hard. He gets a little confusing towards the end, but I think it's justifiable. I mean, he doesn't want to like Prim, but he does. And he doesn't like that he can't control it. **

**Anyway, sorry for the long wait. This is split into two parts because it is so long. If I get 15 reviews, the rest of Cato's story will be posted immediately. It's done, just waiting for those reviews!**

**R&r!**

"Sir." While addressing my father as 'sir' seemed a bit too stiff to me, yet I would never dream of calling him anything else. Yes, I could think of him as dad, but to call him that? No.

I still straight, waiting for him to offer me a chair. I had been informed of this meeting a few days ago, my father had sent a servant to nervously inform me that my father wanted to speak to me.

I never liked coming in his office. It was always too stuffy and smelled overpoweringly like roses. I knew why it did. My father's...dealings in the past had led to him poisoning himself and he now had to drink roses to mask the scent of blood.

He also decorated his entire office with said white roses. The overbearing stench was meant to throw off his adversaries, to cloud the mind. The smell was an attack on the senses, making it hard to concentrate. It other words, it was brilliant.

My father wasn't dumb. Far from it. He was a smart man, brilliant even. He didn't get in his position by pure luck. He had taught me, ruthlessness, and the willingness to do whatever it took to come out on top.

I treasured his lessons. He was simply full of knowledge and information that would groom me too to eventually become president after him. President Cato. It had a wonderful ring to it.

"My son." My father nodded to dismiss the man he was talking too, who groveled some more before scurrying out. I admired that about my father. His very name could put fear in the hearts of most. Anyone around him was instantly obedient and stumbled over themselves to make him happy.

President Snow inclined his head, an indication that I could sit. I sat in the plush leather chair and sat up straight, knowing that's how my father preferred me to sit. A leader must always stand tall.

"Do you know why you are here?" My father did not sit, he stood with his back to me, hands clasped behind his back.

"No. Sir." I stayed in my position, wondering if maybe I had made a mistake in the past few or offended an official. I couldn't recall an incident.

"Tomorrow is your birthday." My father turned around, eyes boring into mine. I shifted slightly to the side, feeling a small thrill. He had remembered. Well, he never actually forgot, he just never actually acknowledged it.

Each year, was a special present, growing greater and greater as I grew older.

The past few years had been especially cool. A slave. A girl to do my bidding and to obey my every command. The only problem was, they had been boring. They usually lasted a few months until they couldn't hold my attention.

Yeah, it was nice having my every whim met, but the girls were boring. They were weak. They always cried the first day, and they were terrified of me. They were afraid of making the slightest mistake. The first one, Thalia, I believe, only lasted two months.

It never occurred to me I could use the girls for anything but slavery. Then, once I grew bored of terrorizing her, It hit me. I could play a different game with them. I could capture the girl's hearts too.

It became a game to me. Swoon the girls, and then, once I was successful, I would merely get rid of them. It was pretty amusing, but it was growing old. Weak girls were too easy to persuade. It didn't take very long.

After Thalia was Crystal. I tried my game with her and it worked beautifully. For a few months. Then, I requested another one after that. Bernie. She actually made it three whole months. I went through about four or five more, the most lasting three and a half months.

It had been two whole months since my last slave.

"Of course, you probably could figure out what I got you." The pleased half-grin on my father's face sent a small shiver down my spine. My father was not a man to smile, and when he did, it reminded me of a snake ready to strike.

I nodded my head, "Yes sir."

My father's face darkened a bit. "Well, this year is going to be special." He folded his hands and looked directly at me.

"Your birthday present will arrive tomorrow. You are up to date with the Hunger Games, yes?"

"Yes." I watched them every year with interest, picking up strategies and trying to predict who might have a chance at winning that year. I could usually guess, but of course, there was always the surprise.

Like this year. Katniss Everdeen. District 12 tribute. Feisty, and totally unpredictable. She ended up winning after volunteering for her sister or something. It was quite the buzz here in the capitol.

"Then you know Katniss Everdeen." My father didn't wait for my response, "I want her. She would fetch quite a nice price here. But, the problem is, she won't do it. We've even locked up her sister and mother in prison."

"I'm surprised," I began, choosing my words carefully. "They usually respond to their loved ones in peril."

My father nodded, "Yes. So, we are going to let Katniss believe we killed her sister." My father clapped his hands together, "Of course, we will need some place to put Primrose Everdeen. She will be coming here to live in the mansion."

I saw where this was going, and felt a small thrill.

"She is going to be your birthday present."

"Thank you sir." I stood and left, knowing I would not be dismissed. My father liked to do that, make the people he was meeting with sit there in the chair, squirming uncomfortably, waiting for the dismissal. The most he did was the slightest of head nod.

I had visited him enough to know that, so I guessed it was my cue to leave. As my hand hit the doorknob though, my father added one thing.

"Oh, and Cato?" I turned to face him, "She's quite feisty, I'd make sure to keep her in line."

A warning.

I nodded and left.

That was yesterday. I was pacing the halls, wondering why I felt especially tense. There was just something about the way my father had warned me about her. Primrose. Feisty.

I liked a good challenge though, and maybe this was just what I was looking for. She was scheduled to arrive soon. I paced more down the hallway hearing the familiar faint rumble from the train station.

About twenty minutes later, my father's favorite body guards, Tank and Tack (real original right?), came parading into the hallway. Both looked pretty frustrated, yet also relieved.

"She's in your room, sir. Tank, the one with the more tomato face, gave me a sneer. "She certainly is wild. I'd be cautious going into the room."

Tack, the body guard with a giant scar running up the side of his face, grunted. "She's got quite a punch." I looked up and noticed a faint red mark on his cheek. I gave my own sneer at them. "I believe I can handle her." I told them coldly.

Both brothers exchanged a look and walked away. I shrugged and stalked away. I decided to give the girl a few hours to settle in before I walked in and traumatized her life. I would lay down the law and make sure she knew who was boss.

~o0o~

I made sure the final strap on my arm was secure. Pushing back my pride, I had decided to borrow some armor from the training room as a safety precaution. I approached, feeling a familiar smirk forming.

I checked my clothes once more, making sure they were in perfect condition and then pushed open the door. My well-trained eyes took merely a second the scan the room, analyze, and figure out that no one was there.

A noise to my left made me whip around, already raising my arm in instinctive defense. The girl let out a small noise in the back of her throat. "What the-" I managed to curse before the girl hit my arm, hard.

She was already rolling over me and out the door before I could recover. Yes I was wearing body armor, but man, she could pack a punch! I stuck my foot out and caught her own leg, sending her sprawling.

"So, you're Prim?" I appraised her with a raised eyebrow. She was still on the floor, hauling herself into a sitting position. She rubbed her jaw, yet still managed to glare at me defiantly.

Wow.

She was pretty. Well, the other girls had been too, but in more of a forced way. Prim had a natural beauty, with golden blonde hair and clear blue eyes. Even her skin, which was gritty from her time in the prison, was flawless under that filth.

"You're the one who is going to kill me?" The girl was glaring at me, like a final act of desperation, "you're pretty wimpy looking."

Ouch. I worked out almost every day, hours at a time. I easily towered over her, by close to a foot, I was guessing. Even in the clothes I was wearing, my muscles were prominent. They were kind of my vanity point.

"You're quite lucky they warmed me girl," I held up my arm, trying to rub her stupidity in her face, "Body armor." She took it all in in a second, obviously she was smart. I could see her mind working quickly, analyzing everything and storing it for later.

I frowned, remembering what she had said first, "And I'm not here to kill you." I couldn't help but add something to strike terror in her heart, "Though if you try something like that again, I may be forced too."

Instead of fear though, she yawned and stood up. "Lucky me." She brushed by me, "Please do." much to my utter outrage, she had the audacity to get in my bed and settle down. "When you have something interesting to say, please wake me."

My fist clenched furiously, I wanted to hit her so bad. Instead, I settled for grabbing her and dropping her into the floor. I pressed my shoe-covered foot into her back, effectively pinning her to the ground.

I could feel the fragility of the girl beneath me, if I pressed down just a little harder, I could crush her. Her heart fluttered in her ribs, the give-away of her panic.

I heard her growl in frustration and I leaned really close. "I don't think you know who I am. I am Cato Snow. You are mine now." I added the name, knowing that even in District 12, the stupid people knew who President Snow was.

"Get off you idiot." My birthday present hissed.

The girl wiggled again, and this time I allowed her to get up. She pushed herself up, coughing to cover up her pain.

Prim stood up, giving me a proper look. I was already mad about her blatant disregard of the rules and lack of fear, or respect. I crossed my arms and decided to toy with her a little bit. "Small." I muttered, looking her over again.

"Not look-" The girl began, but I cut her off.

"Weakened. Scrawny. Disobedient." There. That seemed to strike a cord. She really wasn't that bad, but she definitely was skinny. I wondered when the last time she had eaten properly was.

"Now that the introductions are made-" Primrose started again. I cut her off a second time. My mind was racing as I thought of what else I could say to assert my dominance.

I glared at her, giving her one of my most threatening gazes, "I don't think you fully understand girl." I snapped at her. "You are mine now."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

I smirked at her, "You are my personal servant. Or slave. Anyway you want to consider it." I went on to explain the rules, making sure to emphasize that it wasn't beneath me to have her put to death.

I went through the same thing with the other girls, except, there was much different reactions. They exhibited fear, while Primrose had a very aggressive stance, arms crossed and eyes narrowed. When I told her to make my bed, instead of jumping too it like it usually happened, she had a sharp retort for my retreating form.

When I left the room, I felt like my stress level had just increased tenfold. I was tense, and on edge. I needed something to take the edge off of my anger. I had left Primrose to make my bed, wondering if she would actually do it.

I meanwhile, had to visit Claude, to prepare the station, and also to warn him. Also, my father summoned me. Well, his messenger did. He wanted to see my new girl, and to see how I was fairing. I would take her after the tattoo.

When I came back, not much later, I guess I wasn't really that surprised to find her passed out on my couch. I was about to tip it right over, when I paused. She looked so peaceful lying there. Her scowl was gone, replaced with a calm, serene look.

I grinned, touched. Too bad I had to ruin her moment. I none too gently tipped the couch, easily lifting it and her off the ground. She rolled over and hit the ground hard, blinking dazedly. Realization flooded her gaze and her scowl returned.

I made her fix my bed, and she purposely took her time. I was beginning to realize this was a game. Each of us to see who could get the better of the other person. Primrose showed me by not making my bed. It was OK. I was going to show her.

A game. A battle of wills. Unfortunately for her, I had the upper hand. This was my court, my playing field. I held all the cards. There was nothing that could throw me. I had this in the bag.

When she was done, I grabbed her wrists, enjoying the feeling of her smooth skin. I might have over done it, tightening my grip until she squirmed. I walked out the door, not loosening my grip. She probably had enough sense to not run, but hey, I wanted to humiliate her.

Primrose shielded her eyes as we stepped out into the brightly lit hall. "Not long now." I couldn't help but goad.

"You can let go, I'm not going to run anywhere." Primrose growled irritably.

"Why take a chance?" The girl obviously hated how much stronger I was. The best thing about this arrangement was, no matter what, I would always be stronger than her. I would always have the upper hand, and she couldn't fight me.

I led her into the tattoo parlor, watching her face carefully. Her eyebrows crinkled together and I could see confusion flash across her face.

"What is this?" Her curiosity overshadowed her pride in this moment.

"Ever hear of a tattoo parlor?" I smirked. Realization flashed across her face.

"Yes."

"Well, you're getting a tattoo today, Rosie." I said with false cheerfulness. I saw a brief flash of something, fear maybe? It was then followed by anger.

"My name is Prim." She snapped. She was hiding her emotions behind anger. Her and I had more in common than I thought.

"I get to choose the name." I taunted.

"Well, I'm not a dog."

I pretended not to hear her and called out for the shop owner. "Claude." A dark man with more tattoos than should be natural stepped out from the backroom. He grinned when he saw me. "Another tattoo?" He said in amusement.

I had this done to all my girls, a sort of further humiliation. I walked closer to Claude, letting go of Rosie's arms. I leaned closer, "Make it very dark. I don't want it to fade." Claude nodded.

I grabbed Prim's arm again and began to drag her towards the "prisoner" chair. It had lots of restraints. Primrose began to fight, obviously against it. "I'm not getting a tattoo." She snarled, kicking me in the shin.

It sent a brief flare of pain up my leg, but I managed to conceal it. The girl then jabbed me in the stomach as hard as she could with her free hand. It hurt too, and I inhaled slowly. This could go on all night. I picked her up, throwing her across my shoulder.

Prim was light, like a bird. She weighed nothing on my shoulders. Maybe she really didn't eat a lot. Maybe they didn't feed her enough. That hopefully would change. I liked my girls healthy. I dropped her onto the chair and strapped her waist in.

I watched Claude lean closer to her and whisper something in her ear. From the gentle tone, I guess it was supposed to be soothing.

The procedure didn't take very long. Prim was off in her own little world, trying to block out her pain. She was covered in straps, unable to move. When Claude finished, Prim only glared in disgust at her arm. "I hate you." She hissed.

"Alright," I shrugged, picking her up again. I took her back to the room and selected some clothes from the previous girl's wardrobe. I tossed her a bundle and told her to shower. Of course, she gave me some more lip, but I knew she badly wanted a shower.

Primrose huffed, but stalked passed me into my bathroom. I heard her start the shower and I started my watch. She had eight minutes. I paced the room, waiting quite impatiently for her. She was purposely taking her time.

"Two minutes." I called, pounding on the door. I was sick of waiting, the showers were fancy and should only take a few minutes tops to wash and dry. Obviously, this girl was trying to stall. I heard the water shut off, followed by the hiss of the blow dryer.

A moment later; "Cato, dear, where are my clothes at?" Rosie shouted, sounding furious. I felt smug.

"I threw them away."

"Well the dress in here accidentally got ripped." I heard the smugness in HER voice. I clenched my hands, trying to suppress my anger.

"Rosie." I hissed through the door. I would kick it open, but I was trying to curb my anger. Trying being a key word.

"I request better clothes."

I was preparing to kick open the door, when a new idea hit me. Why not turn this against her? I walked to my closet and grabbed one of my own shirts. I picked up her brown pants that she had been wearing, vowing to get rid of all her old clothes.

"Fine." I slid the bundle in, waiting for her protests. Of course they came. She tried to complain, but I merely informed her that I threw the rest away. Those hideous brown pants would follow shortly.

I unlocked the door moments later, feeling a small thrill at seeing her drowning in my shirt. The shirt alone went down to her knees. She really was a little thing. Like a bird.

I grabbed her wrists again, holding them tightly. Prim protested the whole way there, complaining about everything and anything. All she did was complain. Was she ever happy?

Before we came to my father's study, I drew Prim close, trying to get my point across. "Just be on your best behavior."

"Do you really want to see me at my best?" For a moment, I almost laughed. It was more of the shock that she really would say something like that in this situation. Her snappy answers were pretty amusing.

Instead, I buried my chuckle with a glare and scowl. "Rosie." I warned her.

"Actually, it's Prim." She snapped back, trying to jerk her hand out of my grip. "And I can walk just fine by myself." This time, I couldn't suppress a smirk as I pulled her along.

~0o0~

"Enter." My father's voice boomed even from behind the thick doors. I opened them easily and brought Prim through too. I let go of her, praying she would try and hold her tongue. For the moment, she looked in awe of the room and my father himself.

I hoped that might be enough to scare her into silence. No such luck.

"Lovely décor. It's really tasteful." She said cheerfully. I let out a small groan of frustration, unsure of what my father would say.

My father let out a choking sound. I realized it was a noise of displeasure. He didn't appreciate what Prim just said.

"So, this is Miss Everdeen?" My father's gaze swept her over, taking in everything. I wished I had forced her to wear something more appropriate for a visit to my father. Like a dress. Too late for that.

Primrose opened her mouth, about to embarrass me further. I cut her off with a glare, "Yes father, she's the one you requested to see."

"Katniss's sister. Last year's victor. She's been very well behaved recently." Prim stiffened beside me at the mention of her sister. Well, my father's plan had worked. Make Katniss believe her sister was dead and she'll cooperate. That was why he was president. He was brilliant.

We talked some more, my father basically gloating about his accomplishments. I didn't mind though, he earned it.

Finally, Prim interrupted to mortify me by sarcastically commenting on my room's status. I kept my face carefully neutral, but inside, I was furious. I didn't understand it. Why wasn't she afraid? Was I not strict enough?

My father's disappointed gaze bore into mine. My face was burning with shame, not that you could tell. I learned to hide my emotions very well early on.

"There's a fine line between fear and respect." My father's let the warning hang in the air.

I nodded my head. "Yes, sir."

"You are dismissed." I knew exactly what my father was telling me. I had to keep Prim in check. I would not tolerate insubordination. The question was, why didn't I do anything about it earlier? She had been here a few days already.

If I was being honest, I didn't want to hurt her. Well, I didn't really mind, but she looked so fragile. She was so small, so skinny. I towered over her, and I felt like it was just, wrong, to use my size like that.

Normally, I wouldn't think twice, but then again, the other girls were no where near like her. Yet, they never seemed fragile. I guess because the other girls grew up in the Capitol. They were well-fed and softer.

Primrose was like glass, she looked like the smallest breeze could knock her over. I knew it wasn't true, she was probably tougher than the other girls I had combined. Yet, she was still break-able.

Once we left the study, I yanked Prim closer, trying to induce more fear into her. I wasn't trying hard enough, I decided. "What did I say about best behavior?" I growled. She had humiliated me in front of my father.

I would make her pay.

Prim gave me an equally humorless look. "I didn't kill anyone. I think that deserves a gold star." Had any of the other girls done that, I would have hit them, but something made me hold back. I chose to ignore her and step inside my room.

I informed her she would be punished for her behavior and wrote a huge list of chores on a scrap piece of paper. That ought to keep her busy while I had some business to take care of. As the son of the president and future president, I was trusted with a lot.

That meant taking care of problems, and I couldn't constantly be babysitting Prim. She'd hopefully be fine for a few hours. I gave her two hours, my most threatening glare, and left.

Two hours later-

I threw the crumpled up note to the ground in fury. I couldn't believe her. I never thought she'd dare. She wouldn't be that stupid. Would she? Actually, maybe. I paced the room, my anger following like a dark cloud. I saw red for a moment.

"Hey," Claude, the tattoo guy was sitting on my couch, watching me. He had been walking with me back to my room, talking about a potential business deal. I had entered the room, found it empty save for a lovely note written by Prim.

I whirled around to glare at him, channeling some of my anger at Claude. This helped a little. "What is it?! I'm a little busy." I hissed, trying and failing miserably to calm down.

"You need to take a chill pill." Claude knew a little bit more about me than most, so I wasn't too mad at his words. He was a good friend, some one I could take too. He knew about my tattoo. I guess that made him trustworthy.

"Prim just run away." I snapped back at him.

"Yeah, but be logical. She's only been here a few days and only knows how to get to your room. The halls are crawling with guards and she doesn't know anyone. Do you really think she'll get very far?" He took a sip of his drink. Knowing him, it was probably alcoholic.

"Give it four hours. If no one finds her, then you can send out searchers."

I relaxed a little while Claude spoke. He was the voice of reason. I sighed and sank into a chair. "You're right." I leaned back a little. "Now go. I want to be alone. If no one finds her in three hours, I'm sending a search party."

Claude nodded and wordlessly left. I groaned and sank further into the chair. My stress levels have gone up so much since Prim had arrived. I needed to destress. I needed to go to the workout room. My sanctuary.

As predicted, Claude was correct. A few hours later, there was a knock on the door. I rose and answered, finding a very scared looking avox and her. I knew the Avox, his name was Jace. He was a traitor and my father had his tongue cut out. He served my father.

Prim at least had the decency to look nervous. "Thank you for bringing her back." The Avox shot Primrose a last look before scurrying away.

"Well." I said, waiting for her to start groveling or crying or something.

Prim searched for the right words. "Uh...I'm sorry?" I'm sorry? That was the best she could come up with?

I threw her to the ground and pressed my foot against her back. She was at the perfect angle to kick her in the ribs. I had been too soft on her. She needed to be taught a lesson. One that would hurt and she'd regret running away.

I kicked her, right in the ribs. I heard her gasp, followed by her crumpling over. She curled into a ball, shaking in pain. She didn't speak, just took deep gasping breaths. I stalked over to my bathroom and slammed the door, taking a well deserved shower.

As the hot water ran over me, I thought about Primrose. I felt bad for kicking her in the ribs. She probably bruised easily. What was I thinking? Who cares. She shouldn't have tried to escape. Simple as that. To prove I wasn't going soft, I was going to drag her to training with me.

"Let's go." I jerked my head, glad to see her get up and wince in pain. She slowly limped towards me, I tried to keep the annoyance off my face. At myself. Why did I feel bad, feel a slight pity every time she winced? It was nothing.

I walked fast, listening to her heavy breathing behind me. She was trying to keep up, yet, she was obviously in pain. I only moved faster, covering the ground in fast strides. This had to be killing Rosie's sides. Good.

When we got to the training room, I made her wheel out my special weapons. I could already feel myself relaxing. This was the Capitol, so we had a state-of-the-art training facility. The thing is, people here are lazy and don't exercise. They just have surgeries.

I loved it here because I was the only one who came here. I was the only one in this mansion who actually worked out. I had the whole place to myself basically. It was my favorite room. I could spend hours here every day. Which I do.

Prim was sprawled across the ground and watching me as I trained. I preferred swords. They were so lovely. My father had a private trainer tutor me since I was four, but I've grown old enough to do it on my own now. I loved using my sword.

I twirled around, slashing, hacking, slicing, cutting, the dummies with precise accuracy. I scanned them, figuring out what they were going to do. I moved to take them down. I finished them off quickly, already soaking through my shirt.

I discarded it, feeling Prim's eyes wander towards my body. I caught her gaze and smirked at her. She blushed, knowing she had been caught. I turned around and flexed, showing off my back muscles.

Prim returned to staring at the ceiling, scowl on her face. I returned to killing dummies. When I finished, I approached Primrose, who looked like she was falling asleep. Well, pretending to be asleep. I strode towards her and swooped her up. Bridal style.

Rosie shirked in fury, struggling a lot. "Put me down!" She shrieked. I chuckled, holding her tighter. She smelled sweet, like a flower. Not like my father's sickening rose smell, but a much gentler, nicer smell.

Obviously, the struggling was hurting her ribs, because she suddenly stopped. I carried her all the way to my room, where I dropped her onto the ground. Prim scrambled up, aggressive stance activated.

"Are your ribs hurting?" I mocked. Prim's scowl deepened. I went back to take another shower, for I was covered in sweat. It was late, and I was tired now.

Of course, Prim didn't want to sleep in the bed with me. Normally, the girls would get in nervously, but she flat out refused. I was tired, and I didn't feel like dealing with her attitude, so I just chained her to my bed post.

Fast, effective, and I won. I knew she'd be cold, and that would break her. She'd eventually give in and sleep in the bed. They always did.

Two weeks later-

"What weapons are you efficient in?" I asked Prim, trying to gauge her skills. She looked around nervously.

"Um, a sling." She said.

Of course. A sling. How...not useful. I tried to keep the annoyance out of my voice.

"Why do I have to do this?" Prim whined, obviously not enjoying it. I really didn't care, she had been laying around doing nothing for so long, it would be good to do some exercise.

I made her do the hardest course three times. Three times. I guess it was a sort of punishment, slash humiliation tactic. It worked very well. Prim wasn't prepared for any of this. She was pretty badly out of shape.

I enjoyed every moment of her suffering. She obviously was. There was something else though. When she wasn't focusing on the course, her eyes were distant, like she was deep in thought. Something was bothering her.

I was right. That night, I heard the faintest click of a chain unlocking. _Clever girl._ I thought, listening to her feather light feet patter across the floor. The door opened with a barely audible swish and she was gone.

Had I not been a super light sleeper, I wouldn't have heard her go. She was good. Pretty good.

I didn't bother chasing her. She was going somewhere obviously, and I knew she'd be back. I let myself drift off into sleep.

I was right. I was woken by the swish of the door, followed by familiar patter. The bed shifted and Prim curled into a ball on my bed. She was on my bed. I smirked and allowed myself to fall back asleep for a second time.

In the morning, wherever she had gone, Prim was exhausted. First training and now her little midnight adventure? I stood over her, debating whether I should wake her or not. I voted for yes.

"Well, I guess the cold floor finally got to you." I really didn't see anything wrong in what she had done. Maybe she just needed to clear her head. Whatever it was, I didn't care. If it got out of hand, I would take care of it.

Prim's eyes cleared as she realized what she had done. I meanwhile, was very pleased. While it might have been a mistake, it was a step in the right direction.

I was all ready to go and take care of loose ends, mostly having to deal with the Ball in one month, when Prim decided she didn't want to stay cooped up in the room.

I suppose she had been stuck here for a few weeks now, it can't have been much fun. The most exercise she got was the training room. I relented, deciding she could just sit in a chair while I talked to the guys.

Prim was pretty eager to get out and move around. I was feeling pretty good. I had woken up with her in my bed, she was alert and happy and carefree. Life was good. Prim even went as far as hopping to stretch her legs out. She was cute when she did that.

It was those little things I started noticing about her. The way her eyes furrowed when she was mad, the delicate twist in her lips. The way her hair twirled when she moved around the training room. Her blatant disregard for rules. She was a one-girl rebel.

Of course, I kept all of this to myself. My feelings were unimportant, and frankly, inappropriate. I could easily quash them though, so I wasn't too concerned. She was just another girl, another pretty face. I learned early on to get hide feelings.

I was just finishing my thought process when Prim suddenly stumbled and began to fall. I instantly reacted, reaching forward easily and grabbing her, effectively stopping her fall. I didn't want to let go, enjoying the cool feel of her skin. Her face was flushed, eyes widened in surprise. I let the amusement flow into my voice, "You should probably watch you're footsteps."

Prim glared at me, her feisty personality flaring up. She put her hands on my chest, shoving me. She probably was really trying, but it felt like a gentle push. I let go, making her feel better about her strength.

"I wouldn't feel like this if you actually had a heart." She was referring to her cramped legs, her inability to walk. I was hurt. I thought she was beginning to warm up to me. Instead, it looked like she was trying to push me further away.

I scowled, hating the way that sentence offended me. I didn't care what she thinks. She could think whatever she wanted to about me. That wasn't my problem. I tried to walk away, feeling Prim hesitate before following me.

Finally, after a few minutes, she scurried in front of me and held up a hand, stopping me in my place.

"I-I'm..." Primrose looked like she truly felt bad, but the apology was killing her. "I'm sorry for snapping at you." She swallowed and gritted out, "And thank you for catching me."

I smirked, not being able to add my own little line. "I'll always catch you when you fall." The effect was instant. Prim's face flushed red, she looked away, not catching my eye.

"That was really stupid." She spluttered out, failing with a comeback. I had won this round.

I led Prim around the mansion, giving her a brief tour. I then chained her to a chair while I had my meeting. I knew she probably would've been fine on her own, but I still wanted to chain her in a chair.

~0o0~

"Again?" I was pleased as Prim slid into the bed, grudgingly. She humphed and rolled over onto her side, as far away from me as she could. I chuckled to myself, before rolling over also and falling into a light slumber.

Of course, I heard a click of the door. I turned slowly, seeing Prim sliding back into the bed. She had slipped out again it looked like. I hadn't heard her leave, which was impressive. I debated saying something, then I decided against it. I was waiting. Biding my time.

~0o0~

The next three weeks blurred by. I always took Prim with me now. She was much more subdued, and quite. Maybe it was because of the dark circles forming under her eyes. She was sneaking out a few times a week now. Obviously, it was catching up with her.

I was beginning to grow more and more curious about what she was doing. I also was worried about the unknown. Prim might have just been sneaking out to stretch her legs. That was all.

Whatever it was, she hid it well. I didn't really mind that much though. I wasn't sure why.

Of course I didn't mind. I didn't mind that whatever it was, was drawing Prim away. She was always distracted, always so distant. Her mind was constantly drifting, I think I even saw her smile once. It was just a ghost, and it drifted away quickly.

I didn't mind that her mind wasn't on us. She didn't seem to like me. She always seemed eager to get away from me. Prim couldn't keep a full conversation. Every time she had a free moment, she was retreating back in her mind.

Of course I didn't mind.

So finally, one day, while Prim was sprawled across the couch, eyes distant and far away, I snapped. "Why?" I questioned, feeling my eyes flash.

Prim gave me a fake look of innocence. "Why what?"

"Don't play dumb," I hissed at her, hating her big blue eyes staring innocently at me. "I know you've been sneaking out every night. You think I'm an idiot? I'm a very light sleeper." I threatened. Prim's face flashed with uncharacteristic fear.

Prim twisted nervously until she was sitting up. "I haven't done anything wrong." She protested, golden hair falling nicely around her shoulders. Her huge eyes suggested sweetness, begging me to believe her.

"The question is, who are you meeting? And why?" I wasn't entirely sure, but she may have been meeting someone. The why was the big question though. Who would she sneak out to see at night? Who did she even know? Why? Why?

I decided we could take it up later. Right now, I had more important matters to take care of. Something I hadn't realized before until recently. I honestly was a little nervous about it.

"And there's something else." I smirked and headed over to my closet. I pulled out a bundle of primroses, holding them behind my back. "There's a ball in a few days and I was wondering if you'd like to accompany me?" I could feel the faintest heat creep up my cheeks.

Prim noticed and choked back a laugh. I easily covered it up.

"Purely for benefit." I continued smoothly. "I do not wish to take any of those obsessive fan girls that live here and you really don't know anyone." I shot her a glare, "Nor do you have a choice."

Prim put on a fake smile. "Are you serious? I get to go to the ball with Cato Snow? The President's son? And I don't even have a choice?" she giggled. "I'd love too." Her face dropped and she tossed the flowers in the trash.

I felt a stab of hurt, I had spent a few hours agonizing over whether I would give them to her, and if she'd like them. I was also hurt that she was portraying this as a business deal. Then again, I had just informed her that she didn't have a choice.

I nodded, totally ignoring the fact I had just thrown a tantrum. "We can pick out your dress tomorrow." he smirked, turning the tables.

"I don't want to wear a dress." Prim protested, but I was already heading towards the shower. I already had the perfect styles in mind for her. I turned, listening to her protest. I headed towards the shower, glad for the relief. She whispered something unintelligible.

**It's ok, you can tell me if it was horrible. Well, anyway, thanks so much for all your lovely reviews! They give me inspiration and the power to finish my chapters! Love you!**

**R&r!**


	18. Cato pt 2

**Well, I know I said 15, but I was so happy with the feedback, and the positivity, that I decided I owed this to you! Also, I'm going to be gone for the next 24 hours or so...so I won't have a chance to post the next part anyways. So, here's Part Two!**

**R&r!**

Prim was good for a few days. Then, I could tell something was up. She looked guilty, shifting and impatiently. Obviously, she wanted me to go to bed. I, of course, decided to take action. I had warned her, and it was time to take care of it.

I strode down the hall, leaving Prim in the room for once. Yes, I was mad. Maybe that was why I did it. My father had warned me, one of the only "fatherly" lectures he had bothered to give me. I remember that day...

_"Cato." I looked over at my father. I was younger. Younger _and_ naïve. I was still upset at him, sentencing mother to death. She didn't deserve it. She didn't do anything wrong. I was mad, but he was still my father. _

_ We were both sitting in his office. I was dressed in mourning clothes from the funeral. They were stiff and itchy. I shifted, trying to get comfortable. "Yes, sir." _

_ For once, my father looked...older. His lines more prominent. Everything about him suggested age. He looked tired, and also stressed. His eyes glassy and dull. I hadn't realized how much this must have hurt him too. _

_ "I know this might seem unfair. I know you are confused right now." He sighed again and ran a hand tiredly down his face. "But, I had to do it for the good of the Capitol. Your mother, she was a traitor." _

_ I didn't want to look him in the eye, I was still mad. _

_ My father cleared his throat and began again. "When you are the president, you are going to face choices. You must learn to put yourself behind the rest of this world." His gaze grew distant. _

_ "You know, it would've been so much better if I never met your mother." Regret flooded his voice, "I wouldn't be in this situation." He settled on me, "Then again, I would've never gotten such a fine young boy. You will someday strike fear in the hearts of your subjects." _

I learned a few things from that meeting. One. My father did have tough choices. He made his decisions and it made him a stronger man. My mother was out of line, and my father had to rightfully punish her.

Two. He was correct. If you gave your heart to someone, that made it weak and vulnerable. If you kept it close, no one could get to it. You could decided what to do with it. If you gave it away, who knows what the other person would do to it. They weren't trustworthy.

Three. My mother had been crazy. My father had realized this and though it was painful, he had done the right thing. He was right. It was hard being ruler. Even harder to do the right thing. But, the good of the country had to come first. No matter what.

Right now, it wasn't in the good of the country to fall for Prim. When I got older, my father would choose a wife for me. She'd be very high up in Panem hierarchy, and come from a very wealthy family. The marriage would aid in my success.

That was the key; if you looked like you had it all, people would want to be you. They'd respect you more. A beautiful, rich, submissive wife, a easy path to become president, and an entire mansion under your control. That was real power.

I stopped in front of the door, hesitating for only a moment before knocking. Cato Snow did not hesitate. The door opened, revealing a tall, muscular man. I was tall and muscled, but I looked dwarfed compared to him.

He was easily six feet eight inches, with hands as thick as ham. His head was closely shaven, with a large jaw. When he smiled, it revealed teeth filed to a point to add to the affect. Though, I never thought shark when I saw him. I thought elephant.

"Mr. Cato." The man stepped aside, allowing me to step past him into a sparsely decorated room. The only personal touch was a work out bench in the corner and a fist-sized hole in one of the walls. Impressive.

"Thor." I acknowledged the captain of the guards. He was in charge of all the guard or Peacekeepers around the mansion. They all reported to him.

"Drink?" He offered me a glass of something, probably whiskey, his personal favorite. I shook my head.

"I need some Peacekeepers for tonight. Four preferably." Four seemed like a lot, but I had no idea what the girl did at night. She could be meeting with spies to plot our downfall. Better safe than sorry.

"What for?" Thor looked at me with one raised eyebrow, intrigued.

"There's been suspicious activity going on at night." I informed him in a clipped tone that suggested not to ask any more questions.

Thankfully, he didn't press it any further. I nodded and turned away, "I'll be back at 1. Be ready." I turned and strode away, feeling my decision hovering over me like a cloud. I shook my head, like that could shake away the doubt.

_Click. _As predicted, the door slid open and Prim slipped out. I waited a few moments, waiting for the right time. Finally, satisfied that she was far enough away to not hear me, I followed. Prim was easy to follow because she was horrible at keeping quiet.

Finally, she stopped outside the kitchens. Had she been sneaking out...to eat? She didn't go in though, merely paced around, looking for someone. No. Satisfied she wouldn't be leaving, I turned around and headed towards Thor's room.

Sure enough, he opened on the first knock with three others flanking him. They all wore a taser and carried a flashlight. I nodded to them, and silently, they followed. They were all well-muscled and tough. They didn't train in the gym here though, they were all trained at a special facility for Peacekeepers. It was very serious training.

We continued along, no one speaking, moving with effective precision. At the end of the hall, I stopped and held up a hand. Voice murmured from around the corner. I had been right. Prim was meeting someone. But why?

As one, we rounded the corner, the Peacekeepers drawing their flashlights. Light blazed from them, illuminating two figures. One, was a male. I recognized him, my father's Avox, a personal traitor to the Capitol.

The other was Prim.

The two of them were kissing.

Kissing. Why?

My heart suddenly clenched at the sight of the two of them. Prim had looked...happy. Relaxed. Enjoying it. Feelings began to flash through me, appearing and vanishing quicker than lightening.

Anger. Hurt. Betrayal. Hurt. Sadness. Finally settling on cold fury. It hurt a lot worse than I thought it would. There was Prim, the girl whom I was supposed to get to fall for me and then break her heart. Here she was, breaking my heart.

I knew that showing any of this emotion was a sign of weakness. I focused on my fury and let it build. "How touching." I cut in, loving the way they broke away. Prim at least had the decency to look guilty.

Her fear quickly overshadowed her guilt though. I could see her panic, the way her eyes flashed and she cleared her throat nervously. She was good at masking her emotions too. Her face settled into a smooth mask.

I let the anger build, waiting for the one thing that would set me off. Thankfully, Jace cleared his throat, opening his mouth. "I-"

I didn't let him get any further. I crossed the distance in two strides and swung my arm. I was fully intending to hit him full force, when I heard a small gasp to my left. My gaze flickered over, seeing Prim's horrified face.

There was something about her face, the pure fear, not for herself, but for someone else, that made me hesitate. I pulled back my fist ever so slightly, to change from total knock-out to stun power punch.

Jace stumbled back a few feet, half crouching uncertainly. His eyes were unfocused as he tried to recover. I stood over him, keeping my face blank. The punch helped me let go of my anger. I still was furious, but I hid it better.

"Cato." A small voice from behind me whispered. I turned to face Prim, trying to stay emotionless. A stab of pain clenched my heart again. I shouldn't let her affect me like this. I stared at her lips, wondering what it was like to kiss them. Ugh.

I tore my gaze away from her, staring at Thor and the other Peacekeepers. "Take her back to the room and chain her up." I turned back to Prim, my voice dripping with malice. "I'll deal with her later."

I looked back at Jace, grabbing him around the neck and beginning to haul him away. I heard Prim struggling behind me, calling out Jace's name. I ignored it, focusing on dragging the boy away and towards the prisons.

"I don't get it." I ran a hand through my hair, standing over my prisoner. Jace was slumped over against the post, breathing heavily. The smaller boy raised his head and stared at me.

"Prim isn't that kind of girl." He spoke softly at first, but his voice grew stronger. "She was never meant to be caged."

I snorted scornfully, but Jace held up a hand. This was weird. I wanted to kill this kid, but now here he was, giving me a pep talk. "I know you have feelings for her."

"I don't." I snapped at him. I leaned closer. "You're lucky it's not my choice of what happens to you."

"Cause your father is so much better." Jace closed his eyes and leaned back against the post. "Look, I know I won't make it out of this alive. I know that much. But, I just have one request. Can you promise me one thing?"

I didn't want to say anything, but I was also curious what the wish of a dying boy was. "It depends."

"Keep Prim safe."

I nodded and left the room, almost running into my father. He did not look happy. "Cato." He said with a nod of his own.

I met his gaze, fear sliding up my spine. "I'm disappointed in you. I expected better."

"I'm sorry, sir."

"Prove it to me. I want to meet with you. I'll send some one to fetch you when I'm ready." Once more, I was left alone.

~o0o~

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Prim winced as the shackles cut into her skin. My anger was returning.

"We?" Was she serious?

"That's not true."

I was stunned. She had shocked me by speaking back after all of this. "What?"

Prim pressed forward. "I saw you. Before you hit Jace, you hesitated. Your blow would've done serious damage, but you hesitated, it wasn't huge, but it helped Jace. There is some human in you."

I was silent for several seconds as we stared each other down. She had noticed? "No. Yes, I'm human, but it didn't hesitated to protect him. Even if I did, there's nothing I could do. It's my father's choice with how to punish Jace."

Prim continued to press. "You can tell your father to go easy on him. This was all my fault anyways."

I snorted "You both were at fault. There's nothing I could do."

"Somewhere deep down, I'm not sure how deep, there's a human being. Can't you just see that we're just two people who made a stupid mistake?" For some reason, that hit home. Did she seriously think that's what I saw it as?

The rage was coming back. "A stupid mistake? You messed up. Badly. You-" A knock sounded at the door. My father was ready for me. Prim tried once again desperately to save Jace. I left, trying to ignore the emotions around me. Within reach, yet so far away.

~o0o~

"-disgrace." My father glared at me with scorn. His eyes bore into mine, full of disappointment. "The whole mansion knows. How long until the entire Capitol has heard of your little mistake? Luckily, there's a quick, effective way to solve this."

"I'm sorry." I hung my head, feeling deep shame. I had failed my father. But, maybe, I could both please him and save Prim. Maybe.

"But, I've been thinking." My father's contempt didn't waver, so I pressed forward. "The citizens need to know that disobedience isn't tolerated. But, they also need hope, like they do in the Hunger Games."

My father's eyes gleamed, his interest piqued. "What are you suggesting?"

"Keep Prim alive. But she won't go unpunished. I'll take care of that in private. But for Jace, choose one of your best fighters, and have them fight to the death. The boy is weak, he'll be killed easily, and it will seem fair. You gave him a shot at survival."

My father's hand tapped his chin thoughtfully. "You see, this is why I have chosen you to become my successor. You are as cunning as you are strong." I bowed, feeling a flash of satisfaction.

"But, I see weakness also."I stiffened. "The girl. I see the weakness in your eyes every time she is mentioned. There was also fear when I threatened to kill her."

"I-" I searched desperately for something to satisfy him.

"Keep that under control. There are whispers. Prove to me that you don't have any feelings for this girl. That she is just another slave. Convince me. Or else I will step in and take care of it." The threat in his voice was evident.

"Yes, sir." I dipped my head and left the room. There, everything was taken care of. Prim would be branded, yes, but she would live. They wouldn't kill her. As long as I pretended to not care for her. Easy enough. I could squash weak emotions easily. That wouldn't be a problem.

~o0o~

"_Because he's all I have left." _I finish putting my stuff away, getting up to leave. I just want nothing more than to leave this room. Where had all these words come from? Here I was, spilling my deepest fears to the one person I would never want to find out. Besides my father, of course.

And then there was the kiss. Only a second but I yearned for more. There was definitely sparks. Yeah, I've kissed quite a few girls before, but none like this. It was so...sweet. From Prim's eyes, her thoughts mirrored my own.

_Wow. _

Prim's face is flushed and she shoved me angrily. "Can't you at least pretend to be guilty?"

Instead of answering, I head out the door, feeling just a little bit lighter. "There's a meeting tonight. I'll pick you up in a few hours."

~o0o~

"She's gone." A Peacekeeper skidded to a halt in front of me. "She went to visit the boy." I had ordered someone to keep watch outside the door to make sure Prim didn't try anything. I was certain she wouldn't. But, once again, I was wrong.

I didn't answer, just took off down the hall. I got there quickly, my long strides eating up the ground. I got to the side door, realizing how ironic this was. There was a meeting to be held here in less than twenty minutes, and both prisoners on trial were all ready there.

I got there just in time to hear Jace's voice begging Prim to leave. Saying she'll get into trouble. "Leave NOW." Prim left, going through the door she came in through. Which happened to be the one I was standing outside of.

"No, I think you should stay." My voice was cold mirroring my inside. I had given Prim a chance, and now, she had thrown it away. For him.

"We were just getting to the good part." I turned on the light, just in time for the people of the mansion to begin filling into the stands. Horror filled Prim's eyes. I ignored it, instead grabbing her arm, yanking so hard she let out a whimper.

I deposited her roughly on the side of the stage and headed towards my seat. I was going to change my mind about her punishment. I sent word to a couple of attendants and sent them to fetch the supplies I would need.

I let my father know I had changed my mind about the punishment. Pride sparkled in his eyes. "You made the right choice."

So now, I stood before the crowd, everyone waiting to hear what Prim's punishment would be. I spoke a single word, but it was enough. "Branding."

The cauldron and water was brought out, Prim stretched before me like broken puppet. I picked up the iron, cooling it for a moment before hovering it over her skin. I hesitated, seeing the pale skin so fragile before me. I saw a part of a scar visible from the angle.

I had no time for pity.

I pressed the iron to her skin, watching with detached fascination as a faint tendril of smoke rose from it. She let out a scream, so sad and full of pain that I flinched.

I had felt a strange protectiveness over her before, but now, I was the one causing her pain. I was the one hurting her. I couldn't protect her from me.

I pulled the iron away, Prim rolling to one side and frantically clawing at her skin. Her screams faded to whimpers and she lay on her side, silent, suffering, in pain. She managed to hold most of it though. She was a lot braver than I thought she'd be.

"Cato and Jace are going to fight to the death!" My father's voice sounded extremely cheerful. I stiffened. That wasn't what I had meant!

It made sense though. I would do this. This was a way to prove to my father that I was loyal to him and wouldn't allow anything like this to happen again. It also gave me the chance to pummel Jace, the boy who stole Prim.

He was a traitor and deserved to die.

I shut down emotions and selected my favorite sword. I peeled off my shirt to allow better movement. I swung the blade a few times to get myself in game mode.

I didn't want to kill Jace. He hadn't done anything that bad and he made Prim happy. But, my father had ordered me to kill him and I would obey my father.

The fool selected a spear that was obviously too big for him, and tucked a few daggers in his belt. Satisfied, we began to circle each other, sizing each other up.

Well he wasn't twiggy, Jace wasn't extremely muscled. He was also much smaller than me and obviously didn't train. The look in his eyes suggested he was uncertain and didn't want to kill me. That would be his weakness. He would hesitate, I would not.

It started off slow. Jace tried to get far enough away to throw the spear, me staying close enough to not get killed. That was, until he managed to graze my arm. It was just a small wound, but it stung. I let out a snarl and smacked his spear, whacking him in the face.

Jace flailed blindly, catching my other arm, this time deeper. It hurt a little worse than the other one. Alright, enough joking around. It was time to end this.

I let out a barrage of furious attacks on the smaller boy, feeling smug when I smacked the spear from his hands. He sank to the ground, hands up in surrender. I hesitated, knowing I couldn't hurt an unarmed man. I at least had some honor.

Until the fool pulled a dagger from his pocket and slammed it into my thigh. I let out a grunt and whirled on my foe. I raised my sword and plunged it directly into his chest. His eyes glazed, meeting someone else's gaze as he slowly slumped over.

Prim shrieked from behind me.

I heard the sound of running from behind me and I turned, not wanting to meet Prim's accusing stare. I headed to my room, certain she would come back when she was ready.

She did return. Eventually. When she did, she stood by the couch, fists quivering with rage. "How dare you." Her voice was soft, full of hurt.

I stood slowly, moving to close the distance between the two of us."How dare I?" I tilted my head to the side. "How dare I punish two traitors for breaking the law and plotting treason?" My eyes narrowed dangerously.

She honestly thought I was the one who was wrong? Seriously?

"No. I think you did just the right thing." Prim said slowly her words intending to hurt, "You truly proved that you're just like your father. If the roles were reversed, you would've executed your own mother too. That's the kind of person you are."

Ouch.

I grabbed Prim, slamming her against the wall. I was so mad I saw red. But, I also felt clarity. She was trying to humiliate me, I would humiliate her now.

She squirmed against the wall, her injury obviously smarting. I smirked, realizing what I could do to shame her. I leaned close and pressed my lips to hers.

The first kiss we had was soft, fleeting. This one was so much better. It was frantic, possessive, and made me feel powerful. I pressed hard against her, loving every second. Prim's lips felt soft on my own, her sweet smell all around me. Finally, I pulled away.

Prim's face was tear-stained, shame evident. I let her fall to the ground, smirk still on my face. "You look like you could use a shower." I turned away, ready to head out. The kiss was still burning on my lips and I really needed to clear my head.

~o0o~

We settled into a sort of weird dance. Prim tried to avoid me as much as possible, while also not speaking to me when we did have to interact. She was silent, sullen, and obeyed every order without a single compliant.

Even through the dress fitting when I made her feel awful and suffer through all of the dresses I had specially made for her. I picked out my favorite one, loving the way it looked on her. We finished up and everyone scurried out.

Just Prim and I. Oh joy. Prim fidgeted uncomfortably.

When I gave her orders, all she did was nod obediently like a mute little slave. Nod. Nod. Nod. Her little head bobbed up and down with every order. I was annoyed that this was her little way of defiance. Or submission. I wasn't sure.

I proceed to send her out to go and pick up my breakfast. She was gone for almost an hour, which was weird because it should have taken only ten minutes. Finally, she dragged the tray in, obviously struggling.

There was no trolly, which would explain why she had to carry the heavy tray. Also, there was a bright red mark on her cheek. Obviously, she had been hit by someone.

I made her set up my table, and also stand there while I ate. Eventually, curiosity overcame my anger. "What's that?"

Prim gave me an innocent look. "What?"

I narrowed my eyes at her, "Your cheek is all red."

Prim's gaze flashed for a moment before replying. "I hit it on the banister."

I nodded, not believing a single word.

The next three days were rough. I had Prim cleaning my room from top to bottom and I had to make sure the final preparations were ready for the Ball.

Nod. Nod. Nod.

Prim's head bobbed to my demands, like bobble head. I finally snapped, unable to take it any more. I grabbed her and slammed her against the wall, watching raw fear flare up in her eyes. She struggled, whimpering a little with her injured back.

"What's your problem?" I hissed, while Prim looked at me blankly.

"You're so...dead!" That was the word. Gone was her spirit, her fire. In its place was an empty shell of the girl I liked. She wasn't there anymore, and it scared me. More than I wanted to admit.

"All you ever do is nod!" I saw a fleck of spit land on her cheek as she turned to avoid the onslaught. Her eyes looked at me, not with anger, but with sadness. The fear was still there, but she still answered me.

"Isn't that what you wanted? You wanted to break me. Well, congratulations." My eyes widened with surprise. She was right. That's all I wanted at the beginning, but now, it was like Prim was dead. In her place was this...thing.

Like Primrose. It was delicate and pretty and didn't do much. That was more suiting now.

I made Primrose follow me around all day. She was silent, but both of us could hear the whispers. I wanted to protect her, but all I could do was snap orders and force her to hurry up. I wanted to pull her into a hug and tell her everything was going to be alright.

Yeah right.

Who was I kidding. I wanted Prim back. But, the thing was, I was the one who had sent her away, all of it was my fault. Who was there to pick up the pieces when you were the one to knock over the box?

She would never trust me again. I had ruined that. I had not only reached the point of no return, I had paraded by it and kept going down the long, dark abyss. Prim had lost all faith in me.

Maybe, maybe it was for the better. She hated me, and I could stop thinking about her. She didn't like me. Simple enough. But, I mean, I would never get to hold her close again, never get to smell the sweet flowery smell of her hair. She would forever be next to me, but untouchable. She hated me. I had taken everything from her.

I deserved every poisonous look she threw my way.

There were still several hours before the ball, so I sent Primrose away to be prepped by professionals, and I went my own way.

I was washed, my hair neatly combed and styled, everything about me polished and fixed up. I was suited and there I stood at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for Primrose to appear so I could escort her. Finally, I heard a small gasp from around the room and I looked up.

Primrose looked amazing. The dress and the hair and makeup all flowed together perfectly to accent her every curve. She was so beautiful and delicate, everything about her screaming perfect. I had to close my mouth.

Primrose stopped in front of me, and I had to clear my head. I could almost forget that she hated me. Then, I remembered she was here because I had ordered her too. She was here against her own will. That didn't mean I couldn't try to make it up to her.

"You look nice."

That's what I could do! I could slowly earn her trust back, until she trusts me again, and then I can tell her how I feel. How I really feel.

Primrose looked startled, obviously expecting something mean. "Oh! Uh...you too?" She stuttered. I crooked my elbow, forcing her to slip her hands in the bend. The size difference was tremendous. I towered over her by easily a foot.

Hand in hand, we walked into the Ball.

"You look like you're on fire." I whispered to Primrose as the dress caught the light. It sparked and swirled, reminding me of when Katniss had worn the fire dress to her interview. Primrose was much more beautiful though.

And then we were dancing.

Primrose was surprisingly good. Or maybe because of the fact that I could easily spin and twirl her light body and she just let herself follow the beat. On one turn, my breath caught. There was Primrose, laughing. I barely every saw her smile!

Her laugh was light and melodic and pretty like her.

When we stopped, Primrose and I were nose to nose. I wanted to kiss her so desperately, that I leaned in to do it. Her eyes grew frantic and she pulled away quickly.

"I'm...uh...going to get punch!" I was a little hurt, but I nodded and let her go. I found another girl who had been hovering nearby, watching us with a jealous expression and asked her to dance. Her eyes lit up and she nodded eagerly.

The girl was cute, but nowhere near Primrose's looks. She also was a terrible dancer. She was bigger than Primrose, so it was harder to pull her along to the beat. She sort of stumbled through the dance.

"You looked pretty lonely." I murmured in her ear. She threw back her head and laughed. It really wasn't meant to be funny but, OK.

About ten minutes later, I found Primrose, sulking by the punch bowl. I grabbed her and and led her to the dance floor. This time, it was different. She wasn't as carefree. Her steps were more careful, she was deep in thought.

"What are you thinking?" I honestly wanted to know.

Primrose gave me a look. "Nothing."

"Doesn't look like that." Primrose laughed out loud, startling me. What was so funny?

"It really is nothing. I'm just admiring the decorations." Primrose looked at me honestly. I decided to just drop it, not wanting her to get mad.

The dance ended and the clock chimed. Primrose dropped my hands and pulled away for a second time. This time, I didn't want to let her go. I held her tighter.

"Where are you running off to this time?"

Primrose flinched, "I have to pee, I drank too much punch."

I sighed, letting her go. "Be back in five minutes." She nodded and scurried away.

~o0o~

I knew before the five minutes was up that she was gone. Just the way she was acting. I cursed my own stupidity. Gone. She was gone. This time, maybe for good.

I had to find her. I just had to. I immediately found Thor. "Get as many sober Peacekeepers you can find." I snapped at him. He looked startled and pushed the girl sitting on his lap off. He stood up and stumbled slightly. Thankfully, I think he was only buzzed.

He was a pretty big guy, so it would take a lot to get him drunk. The party had just started and he had not taken enough yet. He nodded and got up, mumbling something under his breath. "Meet me outside when you are ready." I informed him.

As I stood fidgeting mostly patiently, I vowed I was going to find my Primrose. Or die trying.

**Ahh, there you go. As a warning, these will be the only chapter's in Cato's POV. The rest will be Prim and all about her escape. Don't worry, this story is not close to being done. I still have a few big plans for it. :) So thanks so much for sticking with me, and staying faithful. I'm on Summer Vacation, so I hopefully will have more time to write. **

**Until next time, **

**R&r!**


	19. Cinderella Part Two

**Well, I sat down to finish this...and boom. Done in 45 minutes. I tried to make this chapter really emotional and dramatic, and I hope I accomplished this. If not...I'm really sorry. Oh well. Enjoy :)**

**R&r!**

_The Victor sent his most trusted friend out to all the District, telling him to not stop until he found the girl. He was given the shoe and set out on the arduous task off finding the maiden.  
_

"We've been waiting for you." I gasped as a familiar face stepped into view, followed by a few new faces.

"Azania?" I gasped again, still not believing it. The woman who had helped me out when I had been escaping from Cato the first time. Wow.

"Hello, Prim." The older lady smiled warmly at me, "I knew you could do it."

"Do what?" I was reeling from the shock, but I was also glad. There were more traitors in this mansion than I thought. There were a few others surrounding us, shifting uncomfortably.

"We can explain later. They'll notice you missing soon and we'll lose our window of surprise." A man growled, clearly the leader of the group. The others nodded tensely.

There were four others, each ranging from early twenties to about forties. Two looked vaguely familiar, the others were a male and female and looked tough.

The group began to file away, down a hallway I didn't recognize. I fell in step, silently thanking Cato for forcing me to train. I was in much better shape than I would've been.

"This way." without question, the others followed. Azania led the group, not even pausing to consider the route. That's probably why they needed her. To guide them in this place.

Finally, we walked up a final flight of stairs and up through a trap door. We came through standing in what looked like an attic. There was a ladder close by, leading into some dark and unknown fate. Hopefully freedom.

The man stopped, signaling for a break. The others sat down, sighing in relief. The leader of the group then turned to me. "I'm going to say this once, so listen closely." I nodded.

"I'm Boggs. You've probably already guessed, but I'm the leader of this little group. You follow my orders. No questions about it." I nodded again.

"This here is Finnick and Johanna, the were former victors turned rebels." The two younger ones. Finnick gave me a grin, while Johanna just nodded.

"The other two are Jackson and Mitchell. They were all hand picked for this mission and I trust them with my life. This isn't going to be easy. If you follow all my orders, your chance of survival will go up." He had a sort of dark humor, but I instantly liked this guy.

Finnick was the tallest with really nice sea green eyes. Johanna just looked cold, with an edge to her. She had been through a lot in her life. Jackson was an older woman, but she still looked sharp. Same with Mitchell. They didn't look frail. Both had some sort of weapon, a sniper rifle I believe.

Boggs pushed away a few trunks to reveal a much larger, less dust covered one. They had stored their supplies in there. He tossed me a few items, revealing to be clothes. "So you can move easier than that dress. Change in the corner. Hurry."

I was grateful for my privacy as I hastily changed into black clothes, each perfectly fitting and easy to move in. My other shoes were traded for black leather boots. When I got back, Boggs shifted impatiently.

Boggs pulled out a few more things from the bag. A small backpack for everyone, containing enough food to make the long journey, and another backpack, which he handed to each person. "We will be leaving via the roof. These are gliders. They'll help you get to the ground safely. Don't try anything fancy with them, just land and go."

Each person was handed a glider to strap on when we got on the roof. It was big and awkward, and would slow us down, but we still had a head start. No one knew where we were, and the gliders could get us far away from the building.

Azania was going to stay. She was a valuable spy and was only there to guide everyone to the attic. With her job done, she could now leave. She patted my hand and left, giving me hope.

Since the ladder was so old, we had to go one at a time. Boggs would go last, me second to last. Johanna went first, climbing up easily, like it wasn't hard carrying a ten pound glider and a backpack full of food.

Finnick was next, he also made it up easily. Then, Jackson went. Mitchell grabbed the first rung when a burst of light flashed through the room. Boggs cursed.

"Was that a searchlight?" I asked, not getting it.

"No. Worse. Lightening." He said soberly. "It's going to storm soon. That's both good and bad." He saw my questioning glance. I hadn't really been raised a soldier, so I didn't really understand what he was getting at.

"Good because it'll make it that much harder for them to track us, and they can't ride their hovercrafts in this weather, and bad because it'll be harder going for us too, and it'll be difficult to fly the gliders straight." Seeing my worried face, he added, "Don't worry, I'll be there to walk you through it."

I grabbed the rung and began to haul myself up. I was much slower than the others because of my size, but I gritted my teeth and pressed on. Another bolt of lightening flashed, lighting up the dark attic and a rumble of thunder shook the room.

As I reached the top, Finnick helped me stand up and get my balance. The roof was slanted, but not too badly. I could walked easily, just running might throw me off balance. Jackson pointed to the far edge of the roof.

"That's where the drop off point is. This mansion is on the edge, so it's only a few miles to the wilderness." I remembered District 12.

"Won't there be an electric fence? And isn't there a force field around the roof?" I had to shout to be heard over the wind.

Jackson laughed. "This isn't the districts. No one wants to escape the Capitol. And the roof is only electrified at the tributes building. We're fine here."

There were a couple hundred yards from our spot to the edge of the roof. Where we'd be hurtling ourselves off in a few minutes. Oh joy.

_A week went by. _

_Nothing. _

_But still, the faithful friend continued. He stopped at one house, it was nice, but the lady inside was horrid. Her two daughters feet were so big they almost broke the slipper in half. Fat foot. _

_"Is there another?" The friend asked hopefully, silently wishing he could only just find this woman. _

_"No." The lady snorted, just as a cry sounded from the stairs.  
_

_"Yes!" A beautiful girl gracefully decended down, looking stunning. _

_"And who might you be?" The friend said, silently sending a prayer that THIS was her.  
_

_"I'm Cinderella." Even her voice was melodic, bubbling and sweet. _

_Sure enough, the slipper fit. The friend was so joyful!_

_He had found the girl. _

A cry sounded behind us. We whirled around to see Boggs coming through the escape hatch, clutching his leg. Blood was dripping down it. I bent down, wanting to examine the wound to see if he was OK, but Boggs pushed me away.

"We need to go now! Finnick, help Primrose get her glider on. Hurry!" Boggs ignored the pain and forced himself up. He glanced fearfully at the hatch and closed it, locking it in place. It would only buy us a few seconds though.

I had only caught a glimpse, but that was enough.

Cato was coming up the ladder.

_The victor was going to be pleased._

And he looked ticked.

We began to run towards the safe zone, as fast as we could. Which wasn't very fast considering I wasn't nearly as strong as they were and Boggs had an injured leg. Johanna had already opened her glider and was strapping it to her back.

We had only gotten about fifty yards when the hatch burst open. Cato appeared, followed quickly by Peacekeepers. They just kept pouring through the hole. I swallowed and tried to move faster.

Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, the sky decided to open up and pour on us. It wasn't a light drizzle. It was a full on rainstorm. Sheets of rain began to pour down, making it impossible to see.

I lost Finnick in darkness, trying to find my own way. I just knew it was forward. I saw a small rooftop overhang, and tried to duck behind it. I didn't want to accidentally stumble off this roof without a glider on.

I tore off my backpack, and began to fit the glider together. I heard screams and shouts, but thankfully they weren't close. A shape reared up in my vision, and I instinctively flinched. "Woah, calm down." It was Boggs.

"Let me help you." Somehow, the captain had already managed to get his glider out and assembled. It was already attached to his back. Boggs fit the pieces together in a few seconds and turned, pulling out a gun.

The Peacekeepers were here.

I'd say a group of six.

Boggs shot two before they even realized he was there. I watched him throw himself at the remaining four. A well aimed punched spurted a fountain of blood from ones' nose, while he also managed to smoothly dodge another punch at his face.

The punchee missed Boggs, but his momentum carried forward, hitting his partner. He obviously had a powerful pack, because the other Peacekeeper went down like a sack of bricks. Ouch.

Boggs had taken down the one with the broken nose, and now he was grappling with the fourth. The one who had knocked his partner out was approaching him from behind. I decided to move then. With the glider on, it was much lighter assembled.

I leaped forward, grabbing the man's hand and biting down hard until the metallic taste of blood sprang in my mouth. I let go and the man let out a piercing scream. He tried to grab me, but I was too quick. I dodged and jabbed him in the side with a loose roof tile.

I didn't know how the others were doing. There was at least twenty Peacekeepers here, plus Cato. He was very formidable, I'd seen him fight.

Boggs finished with his guy and assisted me in knocking out mine. I gave him a nod of thanks, then winced as a gust of wind blew in more freezing rain.

"Go. We have a rendezvous." Boggs passed me a small piece of paper, which I assumed was a map. I tucked it in my belt and scurried off towards the edge of the roof.

I made it like five yards when another Peacekeeper tackled me. I hit the ground hard and let out a yelp of pain. Another one brandished a taser. "This is her." He sneered at me. It was unfair because Peacekeepers had helmets to block out the rain, while I had my hand. There was no Boggs to save me this time.

I tried to duck out of the way like I did last time, but they were ready. One stuck out his leg while the other socked me in the stomach as I tripped. I groaned and tried to get back up, but another explosion of pain shot through my body as they landed a kick on me.

The two hovered over me, both giving me scary grins. The one held up the taser and watched with sick fascination as the electricity jolted through my body. I saw stars and felt my body convulsing. Just when black spots began to dance on the edge of my vision, did the stick lift away.

The one who tased me lifted his taser, "I don't think that was enough."

The other one let out a cruel laugh. "No, give it to her again."

Just as the weapon was about to make contact with my skin, the Peacekeeper let out a choke and fell forward. Right one top of me. I screamed and pushed him off, watching as the other also fell over. Dead.

An arrow sticking out of their bodies.

That could only mean...

"Prim!" My sister's voice was close and I could see her outline crouching next to me. She was clutching a bow in her hands. I didn't know where she got it, but I've never been more grateful to see her.

"Prim." My sister sobbed, sounding broken. "I'm so sorry. You were right. I-" She broke off and let out another sob.

I hauled myself into a sitting position, wincing as I could still feel the after affects of being tased. "Katniss, it's OK, I forgive you." My own eyes welled with tears. This was an emotional day for me, and I wasn't expecting the wave of love I felt for Katniss. And I did forgive her. She had proven she wasn't a coward, coming out here.

My sister buried her face in my hair, muffling her cries. I never felt closer to my sister. Sitting there.

In the middle of the roof.

In the middle of a storm.

Surrounded by dead bodies.

"Oh, Prim. I'm so sorry."

Now, I'd like to say that that's how it ended. Katniss and I made up, we both managed to escape, with all the members of the team alive. We snuck out, rescued my mom, and started a rebellion in District 13. Everyone was free and Katniss lived happily ever after with Gale.

I, meanwhile, found some nice guy who made me feel whole, and happy too. We got married, had three kids, and I totally forgot about Cato.

Then again, this is a drama.

Katniss's eyes widened in shock. She was staring at something behind me.

She threw herself forward, covering me with her body. At first, I didn't realize why.

_ Boom. _

Katniss jerked, and her hands began to twitch.

I too followed her searching hands as they traveled down her side and came to rest at her stomach.

Where a small red hole was.

Where the said red hole was growing bigger. And bigger.

Where the said red hole was caused by a bullet.

Shot by a Peacekeeper.

Who looked pretty pleased with himself.

"NO!" I shrieked, clawing desperately at my sister. Her eyes were sad, but calm.

"Prim." She said firmly. "Go. Get out of here. Don't make my death worthless." My sister managed to give me a weak push. I stood, standing still, trying to not cry. Last time Katniss needed me, I had been sobbing like a baby. Now, she needed me to be the strong one.

"I love you." I whispered, kissing her forehead. Katniss sighed and closed her eyes, breathing becoming more shallow, with long, too long, pauses in between.

The Peacekeeper was reloading, looking at me a little nervously now. He had wasted his other bullets...on what? The other members of the team? Was I the only one left? How alone was I truly?

I grabbed one of the arrows from Katniss's supplies and began to run towards that man, willing to use the arrow as a makeshift knife. The man grinned and leveled the weapon at my chest. An easy kill. I was ready though.

Before I could get there, the man gurgled and a sword burst from his chest. The sword was pulled back, and he slid to the ground. Dead.

The holder of the sword was revealed.

Cato.

His anger wasn't there. Only sadness. And another, much deeper emotion. He took a few steps toward me, gaze searching. I took a few steps back. I hadn't gone all this way-

"No." I said.

"No?" Cato looked surprised. Very surprised.

"I'm not going back. There's only two options for me. One. I escape with the rebels and go to District 13. Or two. I leap of this roof and plunge to my death. Free from this." I gestured around.

Cato shrugged, looking very vulnerable with his hair soaked and flopping limply around his head. He didn't seem to care though. There was a splatter of blood on his tuxedo, but he didn't seem to care. I was reminded of a kid who just faced a huge tragedy. Lost. Alone.

"I'm sorry." He said.

This sent me reeling a few steps back, in shock. "You're sorry? For what?" I spat.

Cato sighed and took a few more steps toward me. I didn't move, but I kept my aggressive stance, arrow ready to stab. "This." He gestured around.

"I'll miss you." The sincerity in his blue eyes was killing me.

There it was again. That flutter I felt. On occasion. The small spark I felt when it was really Cato and not the Capitol breed monster his father tried to create.

I turned away, wiping my eyes from the rain and began to head towards the edge of the roof. I still couldn't see anyone, since they must have already leaped. Or they were all dead. The good news was there were no Peacekeepers.

"Goodbye." I whispered.

"Wait!" Cato's huge arm closed around my tiny elbow, preventing me from moving. He looked frustrated. "You're seriously just leaving?"

I gaped at him. "Yes. You thought I had some sort of loyalty here? Like I would think twice about leaving this place? About leaving yo-ou." My voice cracked in the middle of 'you'.

I just wanted to leave.

Cato sighed and ran a hand through his soaking wet hair. He groaned in some unidentifiable emotion. "You don't get it. Do you?"

"Cato, I don't need to get it, I'm grateful you saved my life, but-" I didn't know how to finish it.

"I like you, OK?" Cato shouted, exploding. I ducked my head fearfully. "I don't get it. You're different than the others. They were sweet and obedient. You are...not. You're snappy and sarcastic and so annoying. "

"Just let me go." I whimpered, trying to pull away.

"But, somehow, I found the game changer. And I can't believe I only just realized this, on the way here. If you leave, I can't let you go. It's killing me. It has been killing me. Every time you looked at me with that pain in your eyes-"

Cato broke off, trying to get me to understand. And I did.

"No." I said. "I can't. You killed Jace. You've hurt me, and I don't even know if I can trust you. All those things you've done...it's...I can't."

"I think I love you though. Don't you get it? The thought of you gone, I just can't imagine it. I-I feel different around you. I want you safe. Frankly, yes I want you to leave. You'll be safer. But, I can't-Yes, you've changed me." I shook my head, trying to not let his words affect me.

"At first, I hated you. You were so...so you! But that's why I think I fell for you. You're unique. You're special. Please. Don't go. I can protect you."

_It was love at first sight for the victor and Cinderella. She moved out of her old home, away from her horrid step-mother, and moved in with the handsome Victor. They were soon married. _

His eyes bore into mine, begging me to understand. "I love you." Jace's last words. That brought a burst of pain. I physically winced at that thought. This boy had killed my best friend. I couldn't stand being near him another second.

I was afraid.

Afraid I wouldn't be able to walk away.

Afraid I'd say something I'd regret.

Something like _I love you, too. _

Afraid I wouldn't be strong enough to do it.

Afraid that this was the last time I ever saw Cato.

Afraid that it wouldn't.

Afraid of what I felt whenever I looked at him.

I didn't want to leave.

But, if I didn't do it now.

I never would.

"Goodbye."

Cato loosened his grip and let me go. I had to leave. The look of hurt was splashed across his face. His gaze, once so cold and distant, was like an open book.

I was glad for the rain.

It hid my tears.

_And they lived happily ever after. _

**Yes. I killed Katniss. But, I had her death planned from like the beginning, so...yeah. And the other peoples...they were all in that group Katniss had been in. Minus Johanna, but since the 75th Hunger Games never happened, she wasn't scared of water. And I really like her, so she deserves to be in this. I hope you liked it!**

**Well, there you go. Both admitted their feelings. But, the question is...what now? You shall see. I hope you liked this. I know it's very fragmented, but that was the point. It was really hard to write the final bit so I hope it's ok. Please enjoy!**

**R&r!**


	20. Free Fall

**Yes, this is the other part of the story. Hope you like it. **

**And, also, if you are a writer struggling to come up with an idea, please check out my bio. I've updated it. A lot!**

**Yep, I like the way this chapter ended. So, please enjoy!**

**R&r!**

I left Cato behind me and once again tried to make my way across the roof. It was now wet and slippery with rain. The sound of fighting was still going on, but it was only a distant screech. I was stumbling, my face forward, the rain running down it.

I stepped around the overhang, totally exposed to the elements, but I didn't care. I just wanted to go. I just wanted to go home. I wanted my mom.

I wiped the water and tears from my eyes and tried to focus on getting to the edge. I barely registered that I was at the edge. I barely registered the stray projectile flying towards me. I barely registered the pain of it hitting my cheek.

I did register the fact that I was now flailing, nothing to hold onto. Falling.

Into open air.

Off the roof.

Down.

"No!" Strong arms grasped me, barely managing to catch my flailing arm. We hung suspended, my savior on his stomach on the roof, straining to hold onto my hand from this awkward angle.

"Cato!" I never expected him to be there. I thought he had left, given up. Gone away. But no, there he was, leaning over the edge, not caring about the fact that his shirt was getting soaked. Not one bit.

"I forgot!" He was shouting. Over the wind, it was hard to hear him. I did managed to, though, and I wasn't sure if I heard him correctly. He forgot? Forgot what?

"What?" I shouted, also praying that the rain wouldn't make my hands too slick to hold onto. Cato seemed to have a pretty strong grip. I just really wanted it to hold. Did I trust him?

"I forgot what it was like to actually care about someone!" Cato shouted, stormy blue eyes searching mine. "I forgot what it was like to feel like a family."

"What are you talking about?" Maybe Cato had snapped? Maybe he was torn up with grief or something. Had he finally reached his breaking point?

Cato tried to pull me up, but his balance was off. He slipped forward a little bit, dangerously close to the edge. He managed to wiggle back some, but it was still too dangerous for him to pull me up. He kept his iron-like grip on my arms though.

"Ever since my mom died, I've been alone. And this place has taught me that emotions can kill you!" Cato continued to go on. I was beginning to understand what he was talking about. He pressed forward, muscles straining from keeping me up.

Yes, he was super strong, but even he had limits. Right now, holding onto a 100 some pound girl on the edge of a slippery roof with one hand and trying not to fall forward was a little trying. I tried to grasp for the edge, but I missed.

"But you, then you came. And ruined everything!" No anger was in his voice though, it sounded kinda...tender. "And I forgot what it was like for someone to know you existed and not want you for something."

Huh. This wasn't what I was expecting. Cato had sounded half-delirious back by the overhang, but now, his voice was clear and steady. His eyes were calm, and he looked...peaceful. Considering the situation, it was surprising.

"You didn't want to use me for anything. You didn't want me period. But, Prim, I want you."

"Stop!" I cried, trying to turn my head. The tears were threatening to come back. I never wanted to cry in front of him! Never! I didn't want him to say this stuff. Why couldn't he just accept we could never be together!

"You've hurt me, Cato!" I shouted. "You've done nothing since I got here but hurt me more and more. I never wanted this life. It's your fault I'm at this point!" Each word I was saying was like a poisoned arrow, shooting barbed stings into his heart. Cato flinched, but kept his grip on me.

"I'll never hurt you again." Cato promised, leaning closer. He pulled me close, just enough that our lips were only a few centimeters apart. He leaned in all the way, just brushing his lips against mine. There they were, the sparks. My cold body was on fire, and that was from only a moments kiss.

I was still stunned when Cato suddenly heaved, pulling me up with all his might. He managed to throw me up on the edge of the roof, with enough balance that I wouldn't fall. But, by doing that, Cato had knocked his own body forward.

I was safe.

Cato had just saved me.

By sacrificing himself.

"NOO!" An animalistic sound ripped out from around me. It was so shrill that I had no idea where it was coming from. It took me a moment to realize it was me who had made that noise. I scrambled to the edge of the roof and saw Cato hanging on by his fingertips.

Cato looked serene, staring up at me. Now, the tables had turned. I remembered all the fantasies I had dreamed about killing Cato, but now, I wanted him alive more than anything in the world. I knew there was no way I could lift him on my own though.

"Stay here, I'll go get help!" I started to rise, but Cato shook his head. His arms shivered with the effort of holding himself up.

"No. I'll be fine." He looked...happy? Why was he happy? "I have everything I need right here."

The rain was getting harder, and the roof was getting more slippery. Cato looked up at me. "All I wanted was for you to be safe."

Then, he could hold on no more. His grip slipped and now it was Cato who was falling.

Down.

Cato had sacrificed himself to save me. Now, I was returning the favor. I didn't hesitate as I hurtled off the edge of the roof. The glider wanted to open, but I kept it close, trying to pick up speed. Cato was getting closer as I zoomed down.

There.

I opened the glider and grabbed Cato simultaneously. He was very heavy. The glider jerked hard on my shoulder, enough for me to let out a squeak of pain. It was dangerously close to the maximum weight limit, but it managed to hold.

Only problem was, we were very close to the ground. I yanked hard on the glider, trying to reduce the speed. It worked. A bit. We still crashed landed. Hard.

We hit the bumpy ground and bounced a few times. I was flung in one direction and Cato the other. I hit a tree hard and my vision went black.

~o0o~

I woke up a few minutes later, my head pounding. Everything was blurry and my vision slowly returned. I was still under a tree, so I hadn't gotten too soaked from the rain, but a few feet from where I lay, was Cato.

He had been completely exposed to the elements, and he was soaked. I hurried over, trying to ignore the wave of nausea that washed over me. I knelt at his side, checking if he was breathing. He was. Barely.

I stuffed my hand in my mouth to suppress a scream.

Wow. His hair had gotten ruined from the fall, and Cato had never taken off his suit. He looked like a zombie groom, with his disheveled clothes, dirty face, and blood all over him. I patted his cheeks gently, trying to get him to wake up. He must have hit his head too.

I pulled his jacket off, trying to give his room to breath. Finally, after an eternity, Cato's clear blue eyes open. They instantly winced as a drop of water hit them.

"Prim?" He mumbled, trying to get into a sitting position. "Ouch." He wince, rubbing his head. There was dried blood matted in it.

"Guess I'm not a very good glider driver." I held up the glider. Or what was left of it. It had snapped in half and looked very sad.

"Or lander." Cato winced and shrugged his shoulders. "I suppose it could have been worse." He realized something and looked back at me. "Can't believe you jumped off a roof to save me."

"I can't believe you threw yourself off one to save me." I retorted.

"Touche." Cato looked around, as did I. We both tried to get our bearings. I looked up and saw a dark shape throw itself off the roof. A rebel. The glider caught the wind and it vanished around the corner. I remembered the meeting point.

"I have to go." I said, standing up. I realized what I was doing. "Look..." I began, "Thanks for saving my life." I turned around, about to find a dry spot to read the map, when Cato's hand on my arm stopped me.

"You're seriously about to just leave, after all of that?" He looked shocked. And mildly amused. "You really do run away from your problems."

"I do not!" I protested. "I just, I'm leaving. It wouldn't work out, with you living in the Capitol and such."

Cato let out a loud laugh, startling me. I have never heard him genuinely laugh before. "You really think I can just go back to the mansion? After all of this? I killed the head Peacekeeper for this place! I'm a wanted criminal."

I hadn't realized what going with me had meant. Cato had betrayed the Capitol in the eyes of his father and would be executed if he went back. He and I were in the same boat. "Oh. Well, I guess the rebels would be alright."

Cato let out another chuckle. "Really? The son of President Snow himself? They'll probably kill me too." He sighed. "Honestly though, I'd rather be killed than the rebels than go back to my father."

"Well, then, what are you waiting for?" I got up, brushing off leaves from my clothes. "We need to get to the rendezvous." I pulled out the map they gave me, flipping it to make sure it was dry. What I saw couldn't be right. No.

"What is it?" Cato growled, trying to see the map. He rolled his eyes. "It doesn't matter if I see it or not. I'm wanted here. I have no where else to go."

I realized something. I had the map. I knew where to go. Cato was wanted. I was too, but he would be more...important. If I could give him the slip, I could slip away to District 13. Also, I was no longer his slave! He had no more power over me!

One look into Cato's eyes though, and I knew I couldn't. He had just saved my life. He admitted he loved me. I couldn't just leave him. I might just lo-like him too.

I folded the map and put it away. "It's that way." I pointed in the direction of the rest of Panem. Just a few miles from here.

Cato nodded and got up, "Well, we can make a quick stop at one of the houses. I need some clothes."

True to his word, Cato broke into one of the houses and stole some more comfortable traveling clothes. He also took a kitchen knife. "I don't even know why people have these." He complained, handing one to me. "They don't cook." I tucked mine into my belt, patting it to make sure it was in place.

We made it to the meeting place in twenty minutes, pacing around and trying to stay out of sight. There were alarms going off that had been for the past ten minutes. The entire city of Peacekeepers were searching for us. Unfortunately, the hovercrafts wouldn't be sent out because it was still too rainy.

"Do you think they go out?" I asked, nervously pacing. We were in a little park inside the Capitol. It was making me twitchy. We were pretty hidden, but I still felt like every time someone passed by, they would spot us.

"Yes." Cato hissed, pulling me down beside him. "Stop pacing, you'll give us away."

"Sorry."

Cato opened his mouth to retort, but suddenly cut off. His eyes glazed over and he slumped forward. His breathing deepened, symbolizing he was out. "What the-" I cut off when I saw a very angry Boggs holding a particularly large tree branch over his head.

"That was a close one." He said, pulling cuffs from his belt and beginning to cuff Cato. "Nice work."

**Haahaha, poor Cato! All that work and poof. Well, I had them cuff him from the start, so don't worry, it's all going as planned. And another thing...**

**this story isn't close to being done yet, but I'm really curious what you guys think...would you guys want a sad ending, or a happy one? Once again, this story isn't over yet, I just want to know. **

**Both ways, the story would end awesomely, just...I don't know. I'm actually a big fan of like bittersweet endings, but I don't want you guys to hate it, so just let me know in a review. **

**R&r!**


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